The German Air Force is buying more Eurofighters
Requested under the Quadriga Project, the agreement is for thirty of the second-seat variants and eight additional two-seat versions of the Eurofighter, while three of the aircraft will be equipped with additional test facilities, including the instrumented test aircraft, for further development of the aviation platform.
“The new Tranche 4 Eurofighter is currently the most modern combat aircraft built in Europe with a service life well beyond 2060,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defense and Space. “Its technical capabilities will allow full integration into the FCAS of the European Future Combat Air System.”
This renewed order from Germany will also ensure production of the aircraft, which will be equipped with the latest technology that could allow the Eurofighter to expand its role in ground attacks and be a true multi-role capable fighter. The new equipment will include the latest electronic radar upgrades, future-proof hardware and software.
These latest aircraft will replace the older first-generation Eurofighter aircraft in the German fleet, with many of them in service since 2004.
“This important decision strengthens our capabilities in the air force. By replacing Tranche 1, which is obsolete and amenable to repairs, we are increasing the operational availability of the Eurofighter fleet and thus our reliability in the [NATO] alliance, “said Ingo Gerhartz, Inspector General of the German Luftwaffe , to the German international broadcaster Deutsche. Welle (DW).
The German parliament, the Bundestag, chose to acquire the Eurofighter instead of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which is used by other NATO nations such as the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands, while Poland will adopt the fighter of fifth generation in the next few years. . The ruling grand coalition government of the Berlin government, along with the Free Democratic Party and the Alternative for Germany party voted in favor of the purchase, which the Left party voted against while the Greens abstained.
The reported agreement has a minimum value of 5,400 million euros.
Another deal
However, Germany’s Luftwaffe may not be the sole operator of the latest version of the Eurofighter Tranche 4. An order is also expected to come from NATO partner Spain, as Madrid seeks to replace its legacy F-18 fighters, while that acquisition decisions from non-NATO partners Switzerland and Finland are considered imminent with orders to be placed next year.
Airbus, together with the Federal Republic of Germany, officially submitted a request to the Swiss Federal Armaments Office. That offer was prepared in cooperation with the other Eurofighter nations, as well as industrial partners, including Italy-based Leonardo and UK BAE Systems. It reportedly met the requirements of the Berne government’s new fighter aircraft acquisition to replace the Swiss Air Force fleet of F-5 and F / A-18 aircraft.
The offer was also made to deepen the existing military partnership between Berlin and Bern, and to allow for further joint training between the two air forces. The Eurofighter could provide the Swiss with full autonomy in the use, maintenance and application of their aircraft data. As more than 660 of the aircraft have been ordered, it is the most widely used aircraft to secure airspace in Europe.
The Eurofighter is operated by the four partner countries Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain and has long undergone continuous development.
