Air Chief Marshal Brian Burridge, commander in chief of the British Royal Air Force's Strike Command, is expected to discuss the impressive progress the RAF has made in introducing the Eurofighter Typhoon into service when he visits the show tomorrow.
Although the aircraft's service entry was delayed, the RAF has made rapid progress since type acceptance was gained. Fourteen aircraft are now in RAF service (three of them with Block 2 software, including a pair of single-seaters) and these have already clocked up almost 1,500 flying hours.
The innovative Case White training programme is drawing to a close, and No 17 (Reserve) Squadron, the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, has transferred to its operational base at RAF Coningsby, where evaluation and operational testing has proceeded at a blistering pace.
Innovative
On 16-17 May, one of the squadron's pilots, Flt Lt Matt 'Guido' Thornton carried out two highly successful firings of MBDA's ASRAAM (Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile) from a single-seat Typhoon F2.
These were the first guided trials of the missile; previously only dispersion rounds had been used to check the missile's release from the Typhoon. They were the first in-service guidance firings of what one RAF officer described as "the world's most advanced and most deadly short-range missile from the world's most impressive and most agile fourth generation fighter".
"The firings represent a major milestone in the Typhoon programme, giving it the weapon that will make it unbeatable in air-to-air combat - with superb kinetic performance and an astonishingly long reach for a weapon in its class."
The missile firings were undertaken at the MoD's Aberporth range in Cardigan Bay, Wales. Fully operational ASRAAM missiles with telemetry were used in both tests, being fired against an infrared target towed by a Mirach drone.
Target
The first firing was against a head-on target, while the second was aimed at a crossing target.
The missile successfully tracked the target throughout both engagements, and imagery relayed from the drone showed that in both firings the ASRAAM passed within just a few centimetres of the small target, significantly within the margins required of the test.
Although classed as a short-range air-to-air missile, ASRAAM has very high speed thanks to its 166mm (6.5in) diameter motor, with approximately 70% more thrust. This also gives the weapon unmatched reach; it is able to home to ranges traditionally considered beyond visual range, allowing the pilot to effectively engage targets from gun range to near beyond visual range. No other IR-homing missile has this capability.
JON LAKE
Source: Flight Daily News
