The UK Ministry of Defence has outlined its plans for the Eurofighter's service entry. The first aircraft will be delivered to a Royal Air Force Operational Evaluation Unit at BAE Systems' Warton factory from mid-2002. An Operational Conversion Unit and the first squadrons are scheduled to be formed at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in 2004, with subsequent squadrons being formed at Leeming, Yorkshire, in 2006 and at Leuchars, Scotland, in 2008. All three bases are home to Panavia Tornado F3s. Sepecat Jaguars will also be replaced by the Eurofighter and a study is planned to be launched on the future of Coltishall, the Jaguar base.
Source: Flight International