The Long Goodbye for the Eurofighter Typhoon

Summary and Key Points: The Eurofighter Typhoon, a potent fourth-generation fighter, faces diminishing relevance amid advancements in fifth-generation aerial warfare, where stealth, networked sensors, and data fusion dominate.

-Despite recent upgrades, including advanced AESA radar and electronic warfare suites, it cannot overcome the fundamental limitations imposed by its non-stealth design.

-While effective against less capable foes, it struggles against modern stealth fighters like the F-35 and J-20.

-European nations must urgently advance their sixth-generation fighter programs to bridge the capability gap.

-Continued reliance on the Typhoon risks strategic vulnerability, making quick investment in next-gen aircraft essential for Europe and allied nations like Canada.

Why the Eurofighter Typhoon Is in Trouble 

The Eurofighter Typhoon was once the epitome of European airpower. Fast, agile, and lethal, it was a Cold War-era air superiority fighter optimized for an age when speed, maneuverability, and firepower conferred dominance in the skies.

Even today, with its continuing upgrades, the Eurofighter Typhoon remains a formidable combat aircraft – and is even now being considered by Canada’s new prime minister as an alternative to the F-35s that Ottawa has contracted to purchase. 

But as air superiority and supremacy is increasingly a function of stealth, sensor fusion, and network-centric operations, the Typhoon is beginning to show its age. It is not yet entirely obsolete, but it is fighting an increasingly desperate rearguard action against the steadily advancing forces of future aerial warfare. 

The uncomfortable reality is that fourth-generation platforms like the Eurofighter Typhoon, no matter how upgraded, are becoming increasingly less able to hold their own in high-intensity conflicts.

The Eurofighter Typhoon Flies Into an Uncertain Future 

The problem isn’t that the Eurofighter Typhoon lacks capability. On the contrary, it remains one of the most capable non-stealth fighters in service.

With a powerful twin-engine design, excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, and canard-delta aerodynamics, it outmaneuvers most of its contemporaries. Its supercruise capability gives it an edge over other fourth-generation jets, allowing it to maintain supersonic speeds without afterburners. 

Armed with the Meteor missile, one of the most advanced air-to-air weapons out there, it poses a serious threat to any enemy aircraft that enters its engagement range. Recent upgrades, such as the integration of the CAPTOR-E AESA radar and enhanced electronic warfare suites, have further extended its lifespan and improved its lethality and survivability.

The Stealth Challenge 

Yet, despite all of these upgrades, the Typhoon remains fundamentally disadvantaged against fifth-generation stealth aircraft. The transformation of air combat over the past two decades has been revolutionary. It is no longer about raw flight performance or even missile range – rather, it is about situational awareness, sensor fusion, and the ability to strike preemptively without being seen.

 A stealth fighter like the F-35 or China’s J-20 does not simply enjoy reduced radar visibility; it enjoys advantages derived from the fact that it is a node within an information network, receiving data from satellites, drones, and other assets that radically enhance its survivability and lethality. 

This is where the Typhoon, for all its strengths, has no future in the world of fifth-generation high intensity aerial combat. Against non-stealth adversaries, it remains highly capable. Against peer threats equipped with advanced stealth and sensor fusion capabilities, it is increasingly vulnerable. 

Eurofighter Typhoon Can Be ‘Detected’ 

The simple fact is that in a contested environment, a Typhoon will be detected, targeted and shot down long before it can locate its stealthy adversary. Even with AESA radar and electronic countermeasures, it cannot change the fundamental physics of radar cross-section reduction and detection timelines. Air combat has always favored the pilot who sees first, shoots first, and eliminates the enemy before they can react. In that equation, the Typhoon is on the losing end against modern stealth fighters.

Some argue that advances in electronic warfare and sensor technology will mitigate stealth advantages, allowing aircraft like the Typhoon to remain viable. There is some truth to this. Electronic warfare is improving rapidly, and new jamming techniques, decoys, and data fusion capabilities can erode some of the stealth edge. 

But they cannot eliminate it. The most effective way to avoid being targeted in modern aerial combat is still to prevent detection in the first place. Stealth fighters do exactly that, and once they enter the engagement cycle, their ability to operate unseen makes them exponentially more lethal than even the best fourth-generation-plus aircraft.

This leads to a larger strategic problem. Europe, once a leader in combat aviation, now finds itself without a true next-generation fighter in operational service. While the United States has fielded both the F-22 and F-35, China is producing J-20s at scale, and Russia continues developing its Su-57, European nations are still flying upgraded fourth-generation jets. 

A Great Fighter That Will Soon Be Obsolete 

To be sure, even among its operators, there is recognition that the Eurofighter Typhoon is not a long-term solution. Germany, the UK, and Italy – all key players in the Eurofighter program – are buying F-35s. And then there are the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Tempest programs that are supposed to deliver sixth-generation fighters, but the programs are years away from delivering operational aircraft. 

That leaves a growing capability gap where European air forces will rely on the Typhoon well into a period when peer adversaries will have already deployed more advanced platforms.

None of this is to say that the Typhoon has no role to play in the short-term. It will continue to be valuable in NATO’s air policing missions, deterrence operations, and engagements against second-tier threats. It remains an outstanding aircraft for supporting coalition operations and providing rapid reaction capabilities in crises. But if deployed in a high-intensity, modern peer conflict, it would not be fit for purpose. The longer European nations rely on it as their primary combat aircraft, the further they will fall behind in the global race for air dominance. With obvious implications in this age of great power competition.

The real issue is whether Europe will act in time to address this growing capability shortfall. Airpower development is not something that can be fixed overnight. It takes decades to design, test, and field a new fighter, and every year of delay puts European air forces at an even greater disadvantage. 

What Happens Now? 

The transition from fourth-generation to fifth-generation aircraft was already steep; the jump from fourth-generation to sixth-generation will be even greater. If Europe does not move decisively beyond the Typhoon and accelerate its next-generation programs, it risks being permanently outmatched in the skies – or permanently dependent on American aircraft. So far, the Future Combat Air System and Tempest programs, while promising, simply will not deliver any deployable aircraft until well into the 2040s.

There are moments in military history when incremental upgrades are simply not enough to sustain a platform’s relevance. Unfortunately for the Eurofighter Typhoon and its advocates, this is one of those moments. The character of air combat has changed too much, too quickly. The Typhoon, for all its strengths, is a fighter designed for a world that no longer exists. 

Europe – and Canada – must either seriously commit to fielding a next-generation aircraft relatively quickly or accept that they will be left behind while others dominate the future of aerial warfare.

About the Author: Dr. Andrew Latham 

Andrew Latham is a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities and a professor of international relations and political theory at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN. Andrew is now a Contributing Editor to 19FortyFive, where he writes a daily column. You can follow him on X: @aakatham.