BAE Systems has conducted first windtunnel tests to assess the suitability of integrating Boeing's AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile with the Eurofighter Typhoon.
An image released by the UK company showing a model of the Typhoon reveals the combat aircraft carrying three of the air-launched weapons. In this configuration, one would be carried on the aircraft's centre-fuselage stores station - ordinarily reserved for an external fuel tank - and two more beneath its wing.
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BAE Systems |
BAE says the test activity is intended to assess the aerodynamic characteristics of carrying the Harpoon. "This testing will help to de-risk the clearance process for such weapons to be integrated onto the Typhoon," it adds.
The availability of an air-launched anti-ship weapon with the Typhoon could be of interest to potential customers, such as Malaysia, and to prospective buyers in the Middle East.
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Eurofighter |
The Eurofighter consortium in 2011 released artwork depicting the aircraft carrying Saab RBS 15 missiles (above), as part of an effort to market the type as a potential aircraft carrier-based strike asset for the Indian navy.
Source: Flight International
