Typhoon to Tempest Evolution of a Sixth Generation Fighter
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Eurofi ghter: The 6 Consortium’s Outlook Eurofi ghter’s Head of Strategic Marketing, Raffael ‘Klax’ Klaschka provided the company’s outlook for the Typhoon programme. Typhoon: UK Outlook 8 We spoke with Anthony Gregory and Andy Mallery-Blythe from BAE Systems to discuss the latest aspects of the UK Typhoon programme. MARK AYTON Spotlight on Italy 12 Mark Ayton details two Typhoon programmes ongoing in Italy. Typhoon Systems 14 AMRAAM, ASRAAM 16 Weapon Integration 20 Paveway Munitions 24 Electronic Warfare 26 Self Protection 28 EJ200 Engine 34 Terrain Avoidance 36 Brimstone 38 Meteor 42 Storm Shadow 46 Infrared Search 48 E-Scan Radar 54 Helmet Display Typhoon Trials 56Mark Ayton details the ongoing work of the RAF’s 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron which is tasked with Typhoon capability and tactics development. Frontline Training for Qatar 62 12 Squadron is the latest Typhoon unit to stand-up at RAF Coningsby and has been tasked to provide frontline training to the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Tempest: Programme Leaders 70 Mark Ayton spoke with leaders of the Tempest programme to gain a top-level explanation of the UK’s multi-billion future fi ghter. In a series of features Mark Ayton details concepting work underway with the Tempest partner companies to develop systems for the nascent fi ghter. Tempest: Concept and Assessment 78 BAE Systems: The Tempest aircraft. Tempest: Virtual Cockpit 86 BAE Systems: A virtual cockpit. Tempest: Sensors 90 Leonardo: Sensors. Tempest: Electronic Warfare 92 Leonardo: Electronic-warfare devices. Tempest: A Pilot’s Perspective 98 Leonardo: A pilot’s perspective of development. Tempest: Engine 104 Rolls-Royce: An integrated power system. Tempest: Weapons 110 MBDA: Precision-guided weapons. WWW.KEY.AERO 5 EUROFIGHTER’S OUTLOOK EUROFIGHTER: THE CONSORTIUM’S OUTLOOK Mark Ayton spoke with Eurofighter’s head of strategic marketing, Raffael ‘Klax’ Klaschka for a company outlook on the Typhoon. raced by potential orders from company’s campaign managers and marketeers operating environment and the array of threats the German Luftwaffe and Spain’s who, understandably, remain optimistic and faced by Typhoon will evolve to statuses that are Ejercito del Aire, in addition enthusiastic about the Typhoon and its latest undefinable in 2021. to current production runs for capabilities. G Qatar and Kuwait, Typhoon’s According to Klax, the Typhoon aircraft is Threat Forecasting ledger looks a little healthier than about midway on its development path with an Eurofighter’s future threat forecast centres in recent times. Eurofighter GmbH remains out of service date in the 2060s for the latest jets around air threats comprising large numbers in the running for Finland’s HX fighter operating in Europe. of so-called fourth generation fighters, smaller replacement programme. A busy time for the That’s another 40 years during which the numbers of new generation stealth jets, and 6 WWW.KEY.AERO Tooled up to the system yet exists and will require signifi cant specifi cally Spear 3 and more guided bomb brink. An artistʼs investment of funding, time, and engineering units or GBU-designated munitions. impression of two capacity, but it’s important for driving capability During the Paris Airshow held at Le future Luftwaffe development to be used by the pilot. Looking to Bourget in June 2019, Eurofi ghter, Eurojet Eurofi ghters looking future requirements, retaining a pilot onboard and NETMA, signed study contracts together nasty. Eurofi ghter Typhoon is one of Eurofi ghter’s philosophies. worth €53.7m to support the long-term GmbH Despite increased processing power, new development of the Typhoon aircra . ere displays, and an improved human machine were more than 50 separate candidate interface which all make the pilot’s life easier, technologies considered by the evolution ultimately the pilot pulls the trigger and needs review. to be responsible for their action. Each contract bound each party to look at Right now, simulation is another critical the long term evolution (LTE) of the Typhoon requirement for day-to-day training. e aircra and the EJ200 engine. Contract periods Meteor missile is a good example. Such are its spanned 19 months for the aircra and nine engagement ranges that it is almost impossible to months for the engine elements. conduct full-up training with the Meteor in most e contracts were designed to underpin European air space. is is usually only available the future of Typhoon by identifying a suite during large exercises with the necessary air space of technology enhancements for the weapons allocated. Provision of a system that connects system and the engine. Enhancements designed air, land, sea, cyber, and space assets to create the to ensure the aircra remains operationally most realistic training environment is the answer. eff ective for decades to come. Areas of high Connectivity and interoperability are all technology explored included: about information security which is a key Mission System Architecture driver for Eurofi ghter: if Typhoon is unable Support the generation, transmission, and to connect into a theatre, it’s out of the fi ght. utilisation of ever-increasing levels of digital at means standardised radios and data links data both onboard (via advanced multi-spectral working in harmony with other assets on sensors including a new electronically scanned radio communication and data links. It helps radar) and o oard (via high performance in training and with combined operations in tactical datalinks), while remaining resilient combat. to new and emerging threats, including cyber. is will maintain Typhoon’s ability to operate in highly contested and congested future “The Typhoon aircraft operating environments. is about midway on its Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub System Potential future Defensive Aids Sub System development path with requirements until 2050, enabling Typhoon an out of service date to cope faster, more easily and more aff ordably with new requirements to counter threats as in the 2060s.” they arise in the future. Human-Machine Interface further out, as yet unseen sixth-generation Refreshed cockpit displays and controls to super jets. enable more demanding future missions, while e forecast centres around ground threats Information superiority should be a given ensuring full interoperability with cooperating comprising so-called triple digit surface-to-air based on the number of high-performance assets in the air and over the land and sea. missiles such as the Russian S-400 that are sensors onboard Typhoon. In reality, a Operational Flexibility abundantly capable of restricting freedom of Typhoon pilot only gains information Applying new adaptive power and cooling manoeuvre in an area of operations: the so- superiority if the sensor-acquired information techniques and facilitating the agile integration called contested environment. is analysed and presented to the pilot in an of advanced weapons, to enable carriage of But future operating environments will understandable way and as quickly as possible. more fl exible store confi gurations. Eurofi ghter also require Typhoon to engage in diff erent In the future, such mission data must be is seeking to increase the number of air-to-air domains from those of today. is will require available within a few seconds, analysed and missiles carried to a double-digit number. A the aircra to be equipped with capabilities processed onboard Typhoon because of very sure way to provide greater combat mass and a such as satellite communications and stealthy powerful processing capacity. key aspect of Typhoon’s future evolution. data links to meet the demands of multi- But is Eurofi ghter sure, in terms of available Engine Performance domain warfare. Consider a future scenario in space on board and available power, that the Focus on four key areas: thrust growth, the which Typhoons engage with enemy fi ghters. current aircra will be able to host the required engine has around 15% potential for more Today, chances are that the Typhoon pilots hardware, processors and cooling systems? power output; new fuel tanks to additional would seek to shoot down the enemy jets. A Because of its physical size and its two range and persistence with increased parts life; future multi-domain scenario might require EJ200 engines, the Typhoon has plenty of survivability and control system enhancements. the Typhoons to attack an enemy ship sending growth potential. Klax reckons Eurofi ghter is Like any of us, even the best of Eurofi ghter’s information to the enemy fi ghters before in the process of rearranging everything under gurus cannot foresee the future, but they can shooting the jets down. Equipping Typhoon the skin of the Typhoon, including mission ensure its growth potential. is will require for such a scenario impacts on weapon architecture, hardware consolidation and new the company’s decision makers to make wise development which in turn impacts on sensor processors. “We also need to ensure the EJ200 choices and use modular architecture to try and technology development, not least the radar. engine has the capacity to increase power futureproof the jet. Hopefully, they can achieve Like all technologies, sensor systems output in the future.” that such that in 20 years from now, when continue to increase in terms of data engineers have to make changes on the jet they acquisition and processing speed. e better Long Term Evolution can do so with a minimum of alterations. the sensor the more data acquired, the greater According to Klax, right now the Typhoon is Eurofi ghter’s Long Term Evolution the capacity to store and analyse the data. a perfect fi t for its tasked roles and has proven programme is designed to do just that. What’s According to Klax, Eurofi ghter is looking into itself in recent years, especially on operations more, the company is using the LTE to new types of network and processors that can with the Royal Air Force.