Forget the F-35 in Canada: Eurofighter Typhoon Has a Message for the U.S. Air Force

Meet the Eurofighter Typhoon: Now that Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has been elected and the campaign mode rhetoric is over, he can focus on relations with the United States and President Donald Trump.

Carney had to use some sharp elbows against the Americans before the election, and he is liable to cool it now that he is in Ottawa for the long haul. One of the first things on his to-do list is the path forward on a U.S. F-35 fighter jet deal that his predecessor agreed to.

Canada was supposed to buy 88 F-35 stealth airplanes from the United States. Still, during the campaign, Carney said he wanted to review the deal and then re-consider the entire security relationship with America. This situation could mean Canada could cancel the whole agreement or accept 16 F-35s the military already paid for. If not F-35s, what fighter would replace aging CF-18 fighters that Canada needs to replace?

Swing-Role Eurofighter Typhoon Has Redeeming Characteristics

One option would be the Eurofighter Typhoon. This fighter is a capable jet that is not stealthy like the F-35, but it has some interesting features. The best aspect of the Typhoon is its “swing-role” capability. This term means it can change its mission in mid-flight. Say Canada needs some air policing duty from the Typhoon, but then some enemy targets on the ground would necessitate conducting surface strikes. The Eurofighter can easily toggle between the two missions and conduct close air support for soldiers needing some destructive power from the air.

The Israelis Have Used Their F-35I to Great Effect in Combat

However, the F-35 can conduct ground strikes, too, and it has a better ability to fly deep into enemy airspace after navigating through complex air defenses. An F-35I Adir fighter accomplished this adroitly last October after a “bloody nose” strike against Iran. No F-35Is were lost after this attack on Iranian radar and surface-to-air missile systems.

The Typhoon is merely a fourth-generation jet that probably wouldn’t be as successful in penetrating enemy air space in such an attack. However, the Canadians may not even need such an offensive jet. The Great White North could be more interested in the mission to air police and defend the homeland. The Eurofighter Typhoon is perfect for this role.

The Typhoon Is a Better Dogfighter

The Typhoon is highly maneuverable if Canada needed a dogfighting warbird. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have thrust vectoring, but it can hit MACH 2 speed, and at MACH 1, it doesn’t need afterburners.

The Eurofighter can turn with the best of them, but it is elusive with that sneaky acceleration and rate of climb.

The F-35 is slower than the Eurofighter and may not be as agile as the Typhoon. But it makes up for these shortcomings in stealthiness. No fighter in the West is as good as the F-35 in beyond-visual-range encounters. The F-35 has long-range sensors that give it better situational awareness and the ability to easily make long-range missile strikes.

The Typhoon can carry an enviable number of different munitions. It boasts the METEOR air-to-air missile, the IRIS-T air-to-air missile, and the ASRAAM and AMRAAM.

Closer Look at Typhoon Missile Load-out 

The METEOR is a missile beyond visual range that packs a punch with its high-fragmentary warhead. It can race ahead at MACH 4, so its ramjet propulsion system approaches hypersonic speed. It can easily knock out enemy airplanes when the Eurofighter is in pursuit of a bogey. The U.S. Marine Corps just tested a METEOR on an F-35B in February, so the Americans are licking their chops to deploy this missile, too.

The IRIS-T is for shorter-range encounters with the enemy. It is a fire-and-forget projectile, which helps with dog fighting. The IRIS-T has an infrared seeker and proximity-fuse sensor that allows the missile to sink “its teeth” into an enemy airplane and not let go. The IRIS-T can reach a MACH 3 speed and has a range of 15 miles.

The Typhoon Is Faster

Since the Typhoon itself can go MACH 2, these two missiles can definitely help the airplane take out enemy fighters at short, medium, and long ranges. This dogfighting ability could be of interest to Canadians. The Typhoon has that intriguing swing-role aspect, and that, along with the missile load-out, could make the Canadian Air Force choose it over the F-35.

The F-35 is a bit slower, with a top speed of around MACH 1.6 to 1.8. Its range is 1,200 miles. The Lightning II has a better AESA radar and exquisite sensors, making it a “flying computer.”  

Both fighters require a high level of maintenance. The F-35 can be combat ineffective during its software update processes. The Typhoon’s EJ200 engines require tender loving care from technicians. The F-35 and Typhoon can be down for the count at some times. Canada needs to take these shortcomings into account. Another airplane that Canada is considering is the JAS 39 Gripen, and this fighter is the most reliable compared to the F-35 and Typhoon. However, the F-35 is more interoperable in NATO since it has more partners. If Canada requires NATO missions in Europe, it may want to choose the Lightning II.

The choice between the F-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon boils down to stealth. Just how much radar evasion does Canada need? The Typhoon lacks stealthiness, and if Canada wants to pursue offensive missions in contested air space, then the F-35 should win the competition against the Typhoon. If Canada is looking for a superior dogfighter with a robust missile load, then the Eurofighter is a great choice.

My money is on the F-35. Canada will likely “make up” with the Americans and honor the full 88 F-35 deal. Yes, there are problems in the Canadian-American relationship, but Trump is good at sweetening the pot when it comes to fighter plane diplomacy. Carney may not have to use the same amount of anti-American rhetoric now that the campaign is over. Look for the F-35 to win this competition.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.