PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES DECEMBER 2016 GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE FIT FOR THE FUTURE 2 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD EDITORIAL 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD 3 CONTENTS EUROFIGHTER WORLD PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES DECEMBER 2016 05 Editorial 24 Baltic policing role 42 Dardo 03 Welcome from Volker Paltzo, Germany took over NATO’s Journalist David Cenciotti was lucky enough to CEO of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH. Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mis - get a back seat ride during an Italian Air Force sion in September with five training mission. Read his eye-opening first hand Eurofighters from the Tactical account of what life onboard the Eurofighter Title: Eurofighter Typoon with 06 At the heart of the mix Air Wing 74 in Neuburg, Typhoon is really like. P3E weapons fit. With the UK RAF evolving to meet new demands we speak to Bavaria deployed to Estonia. Typhoon Force Commander Air Commodore Ian Duguid about the Picture: Jamie Hunter changing shape of the Air Force and what it means for Typhoon. 26 Meet Sina Hinteregger By day Austrian Sina Hinteregger is an aircraft mechanic working on Typhoon, outside work she is one of the country’s best Eurofighter World is published by triathletes. We spoke to her Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH about her twin passions. 46 Power base PR & Communications Am Söldnermoos 17, 85399 Hallbergmoos Find out how Eurofighter Typhoon wowed the Tel: +49 (0) 811-80 1587 crowds at AIRPOWER16, Austria’s biggest Air [email protected] 12 Master of QRA Show. Editorial Team Discover why Eurofighter Typhoon’s outstanding performance and 28 Flying visit: GROSSETO Theodor Benien ability make it the perfect aircraft for Quick Reaction Alert. In the first of an exclusive Martina Schmidmeir Adam Morrison two-part special we take an Becky Taylor in-depth look at the work Miranda Watton 14 Fit for the future of the Italian Air Force’s 4th Contributers Typhoon is on a continuous journey of capability development. In Wing at their base Aero Airbus Defence and Space BAE Systems this edition we take a look at what the future could bring with the Grosseto in Tuscany. In this LEONARDO Finmeccanica team behind Eurofighter’s ‘Long-term Evolution’ initiative. edition we talk to Col Marco EUROJET Turbo GmbH Lant 4th Wing Commander Viva PR and Lt Col Morgan L, 20th Photography Squadron Commander. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH Eurofighter Partner Companies Geoffrey Lee, Planefocus Limited, UK Doris Staudenmeyer 36 The genius of Leonardo Design & Production We took a closer look at our Italian Eurofighter images.art.design. Werbeagentur GmbH Partner Company and how its involvement is helping www.iad-design.de keep the Typhoon competitive in a global market. Printed by ESTA Druck GmbH www.esta-druck.de 20 New milestone for Eurofighter World on the Internet Typhoon pilot www.eurofighter.com Follow us on: An RAF pilot has created a piece of Eurofighter Typhoon history. Find out more about his incredible milestone. IN OUR NEXT ISSUE... If you would like to request additional copies of A special report about the Spanish Air Force at Eurofighter World, please contact the PR & Communications Department: the Albacete Air Base. [email protected] December 2016 4 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD EDITORIAL 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD 5 WELCOME In our world we are constantly looking to the next horizon — in search of innovation, new capabilities and, of course, new customers. Not surprisingly, this is a theme that runs throughout this edition of Eurofighter WORLD. With Eurofighter Typhoon competing strongly in a global market for customers and contracts, we have a clear focus on giving customers — both existing and new — exactly what they need. L Essentially, this boils down to delivering new capabilities. Whenever we speak to customers, it’s what they tell us they want. Of course, the A specific capabilities may vary from customer to customer, but the general point remains the same. They all need the aircraft to be capa - ble of doing continously more to fulfil their national and international I deployments and operations. That’s why we have a clear capability road map — covering the intro - R duction of new weapons, and also sensors like the E-Scan radar. It’s also why we have a plan beyond the road map that will help us to introduce more and futher develop the abilities of the aircraft. O In this edition, you can read more about how Eurofighter is planning ahead through our Long Term Evolution initiative, to deliver for our customers not just for next year but for the decades to come. T There’s also an interview with the UK RAF’s Typhoon Force I Commander Ian Duguid and now Eurofighter will remain ‘the back - bone of the RAF’s combat air power’ until at least 2040. Sticking to the capability theme, we also take a look at the relation - D ship with one of our key partners LEONARDO, and the work being done to bring the E-Scan radar to the aircraft. E Looking to the future, Eurofighter Typhoon plays a vital role for our present customers. This edition of Eurofighter WORLD features the first of a two-part article on Grosseto Air Base — home to the Italian Air Forces 9th and 20th Squadrons. There’s plenty more interesting features, including journalist David Cenciotti’s first hand experience of witnessing an Italian Air Force training mission from the back seat of a Typhoon and a look at the Baltic Air Policing role being carried out by the German Air Force. I hope you enjoy the read and, as ever, I welcome any feedback you may have. Yours Volker Paltzo CEO Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH 6 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD INTERVIEW INTERVIEW 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD 7 AT THE HEART OF NEW MIX The RAF is evolving, changing to meet new demands. Tornado — for decades a lynchpin of the On the record with UK´s force mix — is heading out AIR COMMODORE of service. At the same time, IAN DUGUID preparations are taking place to say hello to the new kid on the block, the F-35, when it enters into service before the end of the decade. Meanwhile Typhoon is going through an intense period of development with weapons and E-Scan radar integration. In this edition of Eurofighter WORLD, we speak to UK RAF Typhoon Force Commander Air Commodore Ian Duguid about the changing shape of the Royal Air Force and ultimately what it means for the role of Typhoon. >> Photo by: SAC Megan Woodhouse(RAF). © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2015 8 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD INTERVIEW INTERVIEW 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD 9 >> AT THE HEART OF NEW MIX oodbye Tornado. Hello upgraded understand and develop our tactics and currently fly three different Tranche of aircraft Typhoon and the F-35. Two aircraft — procedures. — and there will always be continuous up - Gone fundamental job — providing a na - “In one sense it’s not a question of how im - grades. For example, in the early 2020s we tion’s air power. Given this state of flux there’s portant or relevant Typhoon will be but how may potentially look at upgrades to the displays a question about the role of Typhoon in the important the force mix will be in the future. within the cockpit and start to examine the coming decades in the context of UK Air The prospect of the two aircraft, working next generation of head up display or whether Power. From his vantage point at Typhoon together looks incredibly exciting.” we go to a helmet-mounted system. These are Force HQ in RAF Coningsby, Air Commodore The work to mature the Eurofighter plat - things we are already discussing and putting Ian Duguid is very clear about this. form in both the Air-to-Surface and Air-to-Air onto a ‘possible capability’ road map. But as for domains is developing with real intensity. a traditionally defined midlife upgrade I would Tests are taking place for the integration of argue that the delivery of Project Centurion and Storm Shadow, Meteor and Brimstone, as well E-Scan radar is effectively like that anyway, as the dawning of E-Scan radar for Typhoon. except it isn’t coming midlife.” These are all vital for the UK, with Typhoon be - ing expected to step forward and carry out the heavy lifting in the Air-to-Surface domain in the RAF´s post Tornado era. The RAF’s Project Centurion is designed to ensure a seamless transition between Typhoon and Tornado capabilities when Tornado goes out of service for the RAF in early 2019. “Typhoon is in a really good place right now — with its current capabilities it is one of the most advanced 4th gen aircraft in the world. But it’s going to get even better over Photo by: Craig Sluman the next few years. That will absolutely under - “The simple answer is that it is going to be pin its utility for the next 25 years of its life. really important for a couple of reasons. First, “We know that Typhoon already offers an while we all recognise the capability of the excellent multi-role capability. That is mani - F-35 as a low observable, modern fighter with fest through our direct support of the two a highly capable sensor, the bottom line is current operations, Operation SHADER, that the backbone of the RAF’s combat air countering the Islamic State forces in Iraq and power is going to be provided by Typhoon. Syria, and the NATO Baltic Air Policing mis - “That’s going to be the case for at least the sion, ensuring the integrity of Estonian air next two and a half decades because the UK space.