Madrid has signed a project Halcon II contract covering the production of a further batch of 25 Eurofighter combat aircraft.
Signed on 20 December, “the order will cover the delivery of 21 latest-generation single-seat and four twin-seat Eurofighter aircraft to replace part of the legacy [Boeing] F-18 fleet, based in Torrejon and Zaragoza”, the Eurofighter consortium says.
Aircraft deliveries will run from 2030 until 2035, with the jets to undergo final assembly at Airbus Defence & Space’s Getafe site near Madrid.
Spain’s latest commitment follows a 20-unit Halcon I order signed in mid-2022, which will lead to deliveries being made to Gando air base in the Canary Islands from 2026, replacing F-18s.
The four-nation Eurofighter consortium says the 45 Halcon I/II jets will “boost Spain’s air power capabilities and operations; reinforce its prominent position at the heart of NATO; and secure the programme’s industrial footprint”.
The new production aircraft will gain an ECRS Mk1 active electronically scanned array – recently flown for the first time – improved communications capability, and full integration of MBDA’s Brimstone air-to-surface missile and beyond-visual-range Meteor weapon. Spain began operating the Eurofighter in 2003, and has 70 examples in use currently, operating from Los Llanos air base near Albacete, and Moron near Seville.
“Not only is this order an important demand and defence signal, it secures the supply chain in Spain and across Europe,” says Michael Schoellhorn, chief executive of consortium partner Airbus Defence & Space.
Eurofighter chief executive Giancarlo Mezzanatto describes the Spanish orders as part of a “renaissance” for the European programme, “securing industrial activity until at least 2035”.
In addition to Madrid’s 45 on-order examples, Germany has already signed for 38 and plans to buy another 20, while Italy aims to modernise its fleet with 24 new examples. Programme partner the UK has no such repeat requirement for the Typhoon, and plans to retire its oldest, Tranche 1-production examples in 2027.
However, the UK and consortium member BAE Systems are pursuing a potential further export sale of the Typhoon to Saudi Arabia, which has a 54-aircraft need: Riyadh already has 72 of the type in service. Recent – but unconfirmed – reports also suggest that Qatar could be interested in acquiring another 12 examples, to add to an existing order for 24.
“The Spanish announcement, alongside forthcoming Italian and German orders, as well as the anticipated export opportunities, mean Eurofighter’s additional order book is set to grow to between 100-200 aircraft in the next decade,” the Eurofighter consortium says.
Mezzanatto in June 2023 revealed a target of securing orders for 150-200 Eurofighters within a two-year window of opportunity. Other sales targets for the consortium include requirements in nations including Poland and Turkey.
