Eurofighter GmbH has announced significant progress towards achieving Typhoon's full air combat capability.
Though some potential export customers would doubtless like Typhoon's air-to-ground capabilities to be available earlier than presently planned, the aircraft's core customers - and first export customer, Austria - made it a priority to achieve full air-to-air capabilities first.
Flying display observers will immediately appreciate Typhoon's breathtaking agility, and though the aircraft is a deadly close-in dogfighter, air combat success is fundamentally based on destroying your enemy at maximum range, before he has chance to launch his own weapons.
The Typhoon's beyond visual range (BVR) capability is thus of pivotal importance, and development is being accorded the highest priority.
Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) guided firing trials are progressing well, says Eurofighter GmbH, revealing that a significant milestone in proving the maturity of the weapon system was achieved on 15 February over the Qinetiq Deep Sea Range at Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides.
This test required the Typhoon aircraft to track two targets using its CAPTOR radar, simulating an attack against one Mirach using a captive AMRAAM missile while simultaneously attacking the second target with an active, 'live' weapon. The active AMRAAM scored a direct hit on the target drone and destroyed it. The aircraft used was Typhoon DA4, piloted by BAE Systems chief test pilot Paul Hopkins with Dave Sully acting as weapons system officer (WSO).
Further guided AMRAAM firings will include a launch against a jamming supersonic target, and a shot using tracking data from a second Typhoon transferred via the MIDS (Multifunctional Information Distribution System) data link, and there will also be a live twin firing against two targets.
JON LAKE
Source: Flight Daily News