Key Points – The Eurofighter Typhoon, a multinational 4.5-generation multi-role fighter, will remain a key European air power asset for the foreseeable future, likely serving until at least 2040.
-Despite the rise of fifth and sixth-generation stealth aircraft, the Typhoon’s Mach 2.35 speed, agility, reliability, and diverse weapons load ensure its continued relevance.
-It incorporates some stealth-enhancing design features and offers lower operating costs than newer stealth jets, making it suitable for air policing and quick reaction alerts.
-While early UK RAF Tranche 1 Typhoons are being retired starting March 2025 (with parts repurposed), upgraded versions will continue to complement newer platforms.
The Eurofighter Typhoon Can’t Beat Old Age
The Eurofighter Typhoon, a fourth-generation, multinational, multi-role aircraft, has been a workhorse for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) for two decades.
The RAF has no more orders for Typhoons and will retire 30 of them beginning in 2025. Twenty-six will be retired, and the remaining four will be decommissioned in 2027.
Under the “Reduce to Produce” program, the Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1 fighter jets will undergo a process where valuable components and equipment will be stripped and repurposed as inventory for the ongoing Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. BAE, the manufacturer of the Eurofighter Typhoon, has proposed upgrading the Tranche 1 aircraft to either Tranche 2 or Tranche 3 levels.
With the advances in stealth fighter design, such as the fifth-generation American F-35 and sixth-generation fighters currently being tested and designed, many believe the Typhoon should be retired as soon as possible.
The future is indeed narrowing for the Typhoon, and it is closer to its end of service life than the beginning, but the Typhoon remains a capable aircraft. It should and will remain in service for the foreseeable future.
The Eurofighter Typhoon
The Typhoon multi-role aircraft is an easily recognizable multinational twin-engine, supersonic, canard delta wing, multi-role fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
The UK, Germany, Italy, Austria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Spain currently use typhoons.
Typhoon Fighter Specs
Crew: 1 or 2
Length: 15.96 m (52 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 10.95 m (35 ft 11 in)
Gross weight: 16,000 kg (35,274 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 23,500 kg (51,809 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofan engines, which can provide up to 20,230 pounds of thrust (with the afterburners engaged)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.35 (1,600 mph) at 11 km altitude[ or Mach
Range: 2,900 km (1,800 mi, 1,600 nmi)
Combat range: 1,389 km (863 mi, 750 nmi) ground attack
Ferry range: 3,790 km (2,350 mi, 2,050 nmi) with 3 × drop tanks
Endurance: 3 hours combat air patrol at 185 km (100 nmi; 115 mi
Service ceiling: 16,764 m (55,000 ft)
Max flight altitude: 20 km (65,000 ft)
Armament: 1 × 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 150 rounds and a variety of missiles and bombs
Debate on Whether To Expand Fleet of F-35s
The RAF has used Typhoons since 2003 and had its baptism of fire, entering combat in 2011. However, the UK government is debating whether to expand its Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fleet, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant that can operate from the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence “is inclined to increase its combat aviation forces through an” F-35 follow-on buy “rather than acquiring more Eurofighter Typhoons,” according to Janes.
An anonymous British official told Janes that the UK is looking to beef up its fleet of F-35s, which have a service life into the 2070s. However, he added that the Eurofighter Typhoon will remain a “core component” of the RAF and will receive upgrades and other enhancements to maintain its “operational capabilities.”
The UK is moving toward funding more F-35s and the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) for a sixth-generation fighter.
Why The Eurofighter Typhoon Will Stick Around
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a popular airframe in Europe because of its performance and reliability. While it is not a stealth aircraft, it does offer some stealthy characteristics.
Harrison Kass detailed that serpentine, or s-shaped air intake outlets, partially hide the Eurofighter’s jet turbine blades. Radar targets like the delta wing, canard, and fin leading edges are aggressively swept to avoid reflecting radar energy to the front of the airframe.
External weapons are mounted semi-recessed into the airframe, partially shielding these weapons from radar. Lastly, radar-absorbent materials (RAM) were used to coast many of the jet’s reflector spots, like the wing leading edges, intake edges, rudder, and strakes.
A stealth fighter is also less necessary for some missions, such as air policing and quick-reaction alerts. Advancements in air-to-air missile range allow non-stealthy jets like the Eurofighter to fly with fifth-generation aircraft and remain combat-effective until at least 2040.
An additional attractive aspect of the Eurofighter is its low per-hour flight cost compared to fifth-generation stealth aircraft. The issue also has a political aspect. European jobs, tax revenues, and aviation expertise are at risk.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a fast, highly maneuverable fighter that still has a role in the European continent…for now.
Eurofighter Typhoon Pictures
Eurofighter Typhoon Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Eurofighter Typhoon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Eurofighter Typhoon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Eurofighter Typhoon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Eurofighter Typhoon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Eurofighter Typhoon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
About the Author
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.
