Two-seat Development Aircraft (DA4)

This is the timeline of the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, a multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers, Eurofighter GmbH, formed in 1983.

1970s

  • 1972
    • Royal Air Force (RAF) issues Air Staff Target 396 (AST-396), a requirement for a STOVL aircraft to replace the Harrier and Jaguar fleets.
    • AST-403, specification revised for an air superiority fighter. STOVL requirement dropped and AST-409 lead to the development of Harrier GR5.[1]
  • Mid-1970s
    • France, Germany and the UK initiate the European Combat Aircraft (ECA) programme.
  • 1979
    • Following differing requirements (particularly French requirement for carrier compatibility,) BAe and MBB propose the European Combat Fighter (ECF)

1980s

  • 1981
    • Development of different national prototypes and continued differences over specification lead to cancellation of ECF programme.
    • Panavia partners (Germany, Italy and UK) launch Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) programme. Following failure of Germany and Italy to fund development the UK MoD pays £80m prototype, the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP).
  • 1983
    • May - contract for production of EAP prototype signed.
    • The UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain launch Future European Fighter Aircraft (F/EFA) programme. Aircraft to have short take off and landing (STOL) and beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities.
  • 1984
    • France reiterates requirement for carrier capable version. The UK, Germany and Italy opt out and establish new EFA programme.
  • 1985
    • France officially withdraws, commences ACX project.
    • 27 October - EAP demonstrator rolled out at BAe Warton.
  • 1986
  • 1988
    • 23 November - contracts signed for production of demonstrator engines and airframes.

1990s

  • 1990
    • EuroRADAR formed for development of ECR-90 (CAPTOR) radar.
  • 1991
    • 1 May - last flight of EAP demonstrator.
  • 1992
    • EuroDASS formed for development of defensive aids sub system (DASS.) Initially only UK and Italy participate. When Eurofighter enters service only RAF aircraft will exploit all capabilities of DASS.
    • July - Germany announces intention to withdraw from the DASS element. Negotiations begin to reduce costs. As a single engine aircraft is ruled out Germany decides to fit cheaper systems, e.g., F/A-18's APG-65 in place of ECR-90, and delay its service entry by two years. Germany eventually participates in all systems.
    • December - renamed Eurofighter 2000.
  • 1994
  • 1995
    • 4 June - maiden flight of Italian DA3, the first with EJ200 engines.
  • 1996
    • 31 August - Spanish DA6 becomes the first two-seater to fly.
  • 1997
    • 27 January - first flight of DA7 from Turin.
    • 24 February - maiden flight of German DA5, first aircraft to be fitted with ECR-90.
    • 14 March - maiden flight of UK's DA4, the second two-seater and last of the seven development aircraft.
  • 1998
    • January - first aerial refuelling trials, involving DA2 and an RAF VC10 tanker.
    • 30 January - NETMA and Eurofighter GmbH sign production and support contracts for 620 aircraft.
    • September - "Typhoon" name adopted, announced as strictly for export contracts. There is some controversy as the last aircraft to bear the name was the Hawker Typhoon, a World War II aircraft.[2]
    • 18 December - Tranche 1 contract signed.
  • 1999
    • Eurofighter International established as single contracting-management company to handle all export sales.

2000s

  • 2000
    • 8 March - first export sale, 60 ordered and 30 options by Greece (but delayed, maybe cancelled).
    • 16 May - UK commits to MBDA Meteor BVRAAM, leading to significant benefits for export prospects.
    • 7 July - DA2 emerges from ten month stand down with latest avionics. Finished in black (see below) to reduce cosmetic effect of 490 pressure transducers applied to airframe.
  • 2002
    • 5 April - Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA2) makes maiden flight from Turin.
    • 11 April - IPA 3 makes maiden flight from EADS Military Aircraft, Manching, Germany.
    • 15 April - IPA 1 makes maiden flight from BAE Warton.
    • 2 July - Austria announces acquisition of 24 Typhoons, later reduced to 18.
    • 23 July - "Typhoon" name officially adopted as in-service name by four partner nations.
    • 21 November - DA6, flying out of Getafe, crashes. Twin engine failure is blamed.[3]
  • 2003
    • 13 February - first series production aircraft, GT001 flies from Manching. This is the first of Germany's 180 aircraft.
    • 14 February - in the space of just over an hour Italy's IT001 and Britain's BT001 make their maiden flights.
    • 17 February - Spain's ST001 flies from EADS Military Aircraft, Getafe, Spain.
    • 30 June - "type acceptance" signed, marking formal delivery of aircraft to the partner nations.
    • October - integration of Meteor begins.
  • 2004
    • 27 June - two RAF Typhoon T1s depart UK for Singapore for marketing and training.
    • 15 December - UK confirms purchase of second batch of 89 aircraft, the last nation to commit to "Tranche 2" production of 236 aircraft.
  • 2005
    • April - Singapore drops the Typhoon from its shortlist to supply the country's next generation fighter.
    • 16 December - the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) declares the Typhoon's initial operational capability and sets it on quick reaction alert from Grosseto Air Base.
    • 21 December - Saudi Arabia agrees to a purchase of an unspecified number of Typhoons with the UK Ministry of Defence.
  • 2006
    • January - first AMI operational squadron formed.
    • February - first operational mission undertaken by the Italian Air Force as Eurofighter Typhoon defends the airspace over Turin during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
    • 31 March - first RAF operational squadron formed.[4]
    • 18 August - announcement of Saudi Arabia signing a contract to buy 72 planes from the UK.[5]
    • 3 October - 100th production aircraft delivered.[6]
  • 2007
    • 12 July - the first Eurofighter for Austria is delivered to the Austrian Air Force.[7]
  • 2008
    • 16 January - the first Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoon makes its first flight.[8]
    • 22 October - first flight of Typhoon in Royal Saudi Air Force livery.[9]
  • 2009
    • 12 June - first Saudi Typhoons delivered.[10]
    • 25 November - 200th Typhoon delivered.[11]

2010s

  • 2010
    • 24 August - a Spanish Eurofighter crashes in Spain, killing a Saudi pilot[12]
    • 22 December - 250th Typhoon delivered.[13]
  • 2012
    • 21 December - Oman orders 12 Eurofighter Typhoons.[14]
  • 2013
    • 4 December - 400th Typhoon delivered.[15]
  • 2014
    • 12 December - First full trial installation of Brimstone missile.[16]
  • 2016
    • 5 April - Kuwait orders 28 Eurofighter Typhoons.[17]
    • 13 July - Flights trials of E-Scan radar begin on Eurofighter Typhoon.[18]
  • 2017
    • 11 April - 500th Typhoon delivered.[19]

2020s

  • 2020
    • November 2020 - Germany ordered 30 single-seater and 8 twin-seater new Tranche 4 fighters for 5.4 billion euro.[20] The contract for new Tranche 4 versions is to replace Tranche 1 versions currently in service. The latest order from Germany secures production of Eurofighter Typhoon until 2030.[21]

References

  1. ↑ AST-403: ENGLANDS KAMPFFLUGZEUG-PROJEKT Archived 18 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Storm over 'Typhoon' name for Eurofighter". BBC News. 2 September 1998. Retrieved 28 October 2006.
  3. ↑ "Eurofighter crashes in Spain". BBC News. 21 November 2002. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  4. ↑ "Formation of first operational Typhoon squadron ushers in new era for the RAF" (Press release). Royal Air Force. 31 March 2006. Archived from the original on 23 October 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  5. ↑ "Saudi Arabia buys 72 Eurofighters". BBC News. 18 August 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  6. ↑ "100th Typhoon arrives at RAF Coningsby" (Press release). Royal Air Force. 9 October 2006. Archived from the original on 23 October 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2006.
  7. ↑ "First Eurofighter Delivered to Austria" (Press release). Austrian Armed Forces. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  8. ↑ "First Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoon Has Flown" (Press release). Eurofighter. 16 January 2007. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2007.
  9. ↑ "First flight of Typhoon in Royal Saudi Air Force livery" (Press release). BAE Systems. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  10. ↑ "Saudis Take Delivery of First Typhoons". DefenseNews. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
  11. ↑ "Eurofighter GmbH has delivered the 200th Typhoon produced". KeyPublishing. 25 November 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  12. ↑ "Eurofighter crashes in Spain". Flightglobal. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  13. ↑ "Eurofighter has delivered the 250th Typhoon". KeyPublishing. 22 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  14. ↑ "Oman Orders Eurofighters And Hawks". Aviationweek. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  15. ↑ "Eurofighter Typhoon Marks Delivery of 400th Aircraft" (Press release). Eurofighter. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Typhoon fitted with brimstone missile for the first time" (Press release). BAE Systems. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "Kuwait Signs Contract for the Delivery of 28 Eurofighter Typhoons" (Press release). Eurofighter. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "Flights trials of E-Scan radar begin on Eurofighter Typhoon jet" (Press release). Eurofighter. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "Eurofighter has delivered the 500th Typhoon" (Press release). Eurofighter. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  20. ↑ "Germany approves billion-euro purchase of 38 Eurofighter jets". DW. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Airbus signs contract for 38 Eurofighters with Germany". Airbus. Retrieved 16 March 2021.

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