The Eurofighter production contract signed in September 1998 covered the delivery of 148 Tranche 1 aircraft. Seven of these will be IPAs to be used by the EPCs and national test centres, one will be a fatigue test specimen and the rest will delivered in three standards.
Aircraft to production software package (PSP) 1 standard will be for basic air defence and training, PSP2 machines will be full air defence specification including the Defensive Aids Subsystem, MIDS/Link 16 datalink and direct voice input, and PSP3 Eurofighters will be swing-role with an air-to-surface capability.
NETMA's director of operations and engineering, Brig Gen Yago de Bobadilla, says 52 of the UK's Tranche 1 aircraft are for operational service. Also included in the batch is a structural test airframe and two are IPAs. The first two-seater will enter service in June 2002 at BAE's Warton factory.
Until sufficient numbers are available, initial training in all four partner nations will be based at the EPCs. An operational conversion unit will be formed later at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, followed by front-line squadrons at the same location. Further units will be based at RAF Leeming in Yorkshire and RAF Leuchars in Scotland. The stations are home to Panavia Tornado F3 units.
Germany's Tranche 1 off-take will be 44 aircraft, of which one will be an IPA. From September 2002, a training unit will be based at Dasa's Manching airfield for about six months. Fighter wing (JG) 73 at Laage, near Rostock, will begin to receive Eurofighters, followed by JG74 at Neuburg, JG71 at Wittmund and JG72 at Rheine.
Eurofighter's introduction will allow the retirement of RSK MiG-29 Fulcrums and later McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms.
Italy will receive 29 aircraft, including one IPA, from Tranche 1. Initial training will be at Alenia's Caselle, near Turin, for up to 18 months before a move is made to Grosseto before units are converted at Trapani and Gioia del Colle. Lockheed F-104 Starfighters can then be retired.
Spain will take 20 Eurofighters from Tranche 1. One will be an IPA and the first machines will operate from Casa's Getafe factory in Madrid for 12-15 months. The first airbase to receive Eurofighters will be Moron, near Seville, followed by Albacete.
Source: Flight International
