As the UK Tranche 3 decision looms, Jon Lake reports that the fighter is right on track.
The Eurofighter Typhoon programme is now making rapid progress, according to Eurofighter chief operating officer, programmes Brian Phillipson. This is due not least to a major reorganisation that took effect in May, simplifying and streamlining the company’s internal structure.
This was intended to “grow the strength and authority of Eurofighter GmbH, to enable it to give strong and powerful leadership for the next phase of the programme”, Phillipson says. “What used to be difficult is now boring – aircraft deliveries, clearances, and so on. It just happens without drama. Production and retrofit are now going like clockwork, and people now expect clearances to happen on time, with all the paperwork in place. What is interesting now are new customers, and, of course, Tranche 3.”
“The Programme has had a culture of chasing perfection” Phillipson says, “and this is changing to a discipline based on meeting timescales.”
Some 118 Typhoons have now been delivered, including five IPAs, 41 for the Royal Air Force, 33 for Germany, 22 for Italy and 17 for Spain. All deliveries have met their planned schedule since 2004.
By the end of March RAF aircraft had amassed 8,118 flying hours, Luftwaffe 3,535 hours, AMI 3,480 hours and Ejercito del Aire aircraft 2,494 hours. To this 17,627 hour total could be added 5,013 hours flown by the test fleet.
In service, the Italian air force Typhoons have had a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) commitment since December 2005, and the RAF’s No.3 Squadron will assume ‘Southern QRA’ duties on Friday 29 June.
Enhancements
Many improvements and enhancements have been made long before their planned dates. The Italians started QRA without telling the manufacturer, the Germans have flown late standard radar software on early standard aircraft, and the RAF fired ASRAAM before industry had finished its own clearance work, and also incorporated the RAIDS pod. The Block 5 aircraft is now in service.
Industry has also forged ahead, flying the CAESAR active electronically scanned radar on a Typhoon development aircraft before any operator could issue a requirement for an AESA radar.
The RAF aircraft are now averaging 20 flying hours per month, and the best are averaging 40, and early spares and availability problems are being resolved, with less “robbing” for spares. Industry has proposed a ‘quick hits’ programme of small modifications to resolve minor maintenance burdens and penalties, aiming to visit a Typhoon base every ten days with a mobile workshop to make the necessary changes. Industry could begin embodiment in November, and a proposal has been tabled, though the users are reportedly finding it difficult to agree how to pay for the programme.
“There is plenty of focus on how to make ‘blue sky’ changes to operational capability changes” Phillipson says, “but no-one knows how to make changes on the engineering side.”
Tranche 1 production is now drawing to a close, and Tranche 2 deliveries will begin during 2008. The Tranche 2 aircraft add a major increase in computer processing power as result of the CRRIP risk-reduction programme.
The Future Capabilities Programme (Change Requirement 210) contract was signed on March 29, 2007, covering the full integration of new weapons, including Paveway IV and the EGBU-16 (Enhanced Paveway), and Litening 3 Laser Designator Pod (LDP), into the Tranche 2 aircraft of all four partner nations. The contract was valued at about £830 m (with a UK share of £325 million). A further, second phase of the Future Capabilities Programme remains to be signed, and this would add Storm Shadow/Taurus cruise missiles, the new Meteor air to air missile, and other weapons.
Compatibility
Although none of the partner air forces have contracted to do so, it is quite possible to upgrade a Tranche 1 aircraft to Tranche 2 standards. Many Tranche 2 items are already flying on Tranche 1 aircraft, deomonstrating the scope for backward compatability.
Eurofighter is looking to table its proposals for Tranche 3 by the end of the year, and needs a production programme decision by January 2009, if gaps are to be avoided. Once expected to have a dramatically revised configuration, the Tranche 3 aircraft is now not expected to incorporate major changes. Brian Phillipson says Tranche 3 should consist of “236 more of the same, paying for the basics, without all of the high risk, high cost bells and whistles on the front”, adding capabilities to what would be a Tranche 2 standard aircraft.
Industry is keen to be flexible, and to make Tranche 3 as affordable as possible. “We need to create a climate to make it easier for ministers to take decisions” Phillipson says “but we do have an umbrella contract for 620 aircraft, and it’s a requirement that the customer must release funding on time, or face penalties.
“Getting approvals for all 236 aircraft in Tranche 3 will be difficult, but we will help as much as possible. There may be bruises getting there, and some aircraft may need to be deferred but the programme needs a decision by a particular point.
“The customer picked up a substantial bill on Tranche 2 because of delays in signing the production contract, and failing to proceed with Tranche 3 would be a breach of contract and would entail cost consequences. Any partner withdrawing would face the costs of not continuing, losing six years of production and a redistribution of workshare. The UK took legal opinion on the validity of the contract, and didn’t like the opinion! We don’t need to take decisions on capabilities for Tranche 3 yet, but a production programme decision looms large.”
Source: Flight Daily News
