STEWART PENNEY / HALLBERGMOOS
Programme has been blighted by delays, but certification will clear aircraft to begin flying
The Eurofighter programme faces an important meeting this week of the national armament directors (NAD) to decide whether Typhoon is cleared and ready to enter service in June or faces further delay.
The programme has already suffered delays since June 2002, when the aircraft had been due to enter service. Type acceptance, or certification, will clear Typhoon to begin flying with the four European air forces that have ordered the fighter. The UK Royal Air Force is expected to be the first to receive the aircraft, followed by Germany, which has been using a series production aircraft at its maintenance school since earlier this year, says Eurofighter.
The Italian air force is unlikely to receive its first Typhoon until late this year as Italian law means it has to certificate the aircraft in its own right. Spain's first aircraft is also set to be delivered later this year.
Remaining items to be cleared by the NAD meeting include: acceptance of recent electromagnetic clearance trials at UK national test centre Boscombe Down; lightning strike tests at BAE Systems Warton; the recovery programme to rectify production problems associated with the composite fin on initial production aircraft; and the integration of the latest standard of Captor radar. Incorrectly built fins were partly to blame for delivery delays.
Eurofighter sources suggest a review of the programme at the end of May by NETMA, the four-nation programme management agency, did not find any major problems likely to hinder final certification. In the likelihood that Typhoon will enter service, the RAF is understood to have begun pilot training in mid-May. The German air force plans to start early in July.
Eurofighter has been preparing for initial hand-over all year and has inaugurated the International Weapons Systems Support Centre at Hallbergmoos, southern Germany, melding representatives from Eurofighter, the partner companies, Eurojet and the four air forces into one organisation to provide rapid solutions to in-service problems.
Source: Flight International
