Eurofighter - WikiLeaks



Eurofighter

Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK are the main partners in the Eurofighter project.

Total number ordered by partner countries:

Germany – 180

Italy – 121

Spain – 87

UK – 232

Export contracts:

Austria – 15

Saudi Arabia – 72

These aircraft are still being delivered, with final deliveries expected by 2013. The future of Eurofighter had been in doubt until earlier this year when the partner nations signed an agreement to continue the third tranche of production.

Eurofighter is also competing for a number of other contracts around the world, including in India, Japan, Greece, and Turkey.

Sources:



Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH

Eurofighter GmbH Logo

Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, based in Hallbergmoos, Germany, is the consortium set up to manage the development and production of the complete Eurofighter Typhoon weapon system. It is owned by four partner companies with agreed development workshares of:

Alenia Aeronautica 21%

BAE Systems 33%

EADS CASA 13%

EADS Deutschland 33%

Production workshares correspond to the number of aircraft ordered by each European Partner Country (EPC) under the 1998 Umbrella Contract:

232 for the UK 37.5%

180 for Germany 30%

121 for Italy 19.5%

87 for Spain 13%

This consortium is responsible for delivering the Eurofighter Weapon System to the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA).



Production Programme

The overall production contract for the initial purchase of 620 aircraft plus an option for 90 aircraft was signed by NETMA and Eurofighter GmbH on 30 January 1998. Production of 232 aircraft for the UK, 180 aircraft for Germany, 121 aircraft for Italy, and 87 aircraft for Spain will be in three tranches each with 148, 236 and 236 aircraft respectively.

Under this maximum price Umbrella Contract, were the following agreements:

* Supplement 1 for Production Investment for the 620 aircraft, and long lead items for the first batch of 148 aircraft

* A framing agreement for Integrated Logistic Support for the whole programme

On 18 September 1998, the Supplement 2 fixed price agreements were signed between the NATO Eurofighter Management Agency (NETMA), Eurofighter GmbH and Eurojet GmbH. These agreements translate the maximum prices defined in the Production Umbrella contracts into firm orders at fixed prices for a first Tranche of weapon systems comprising 148 aircraft.

The agreements also include spare engines and role equipment for the Tranche 1 aircraft, and long lead-time items for Tranche 2 of 236 aircraft. Further orders for the full range of spares, ground support equipment, training aids, and support for the first Tranche of aircraft have been finalised for the first five years of service and support.

First metal was cut in the second quarter of 1998 and assembly of the Front and Centre Fuselage for the first production aircraft began by the end of 1998. Work on the first right and left wing started early 1999. Deliveries of aircraft to the Air Forces started in Summer 2003. All 148 aircraft (including one airframe for fatigue testing) were delivered by June 2008.

The production contract for the second Tranche of 236 aircraft was signed on 14 December 2004. The first Tranche 2 aircraft took to the air on 16 January 2008 at EADS Military Air Systems in Manching. Deliveries started in October 2008.

The proposal for 236 aircraft in Tranche 3 was submitted by Eurofighter GmbH to NETMA on 14 December 2007. Industry and the Nations intend to sign the production contract by end 2008.

The first export contract was signed in July 2003 for 18 aircraft (Tranche 2) to Austria. The contract was revised in 2007, and Austria will receive 15 aircraft out of Tranche 1 between 2007 and 2009. The four nations had agreed to divert 15 Tranche 1 aircraft to Austria and receive additional Tranche 2 standard aircraft instead.

In September 2007 a second export contract for Eurofighter Typhoon was signed between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Based on the industrial contracts finalized early December 2007 Saudi Arabia will receive 72 aircraft beginning 2009.

Production of Eurofighter Typhoon is characterized by modern manufacturing techniques and principles. Integrated Product Teams look at lean manufacturing methods to cut down delivery lead-times, to keep cost down and to increase productivity. The use of advanced materials like carbon-fibre keeps the complexity of parts low and reduces the total number of parts. A high level of automation has been achieved by using CATIA for designing the tools and programming numerical controlled machines on the shop floor.

Following the single-source principle, the four partners share production as follows:

Alenia Aeronautica left hand wing, outboard flaperons, rear fuselage

BAE SYSTEMS front fuselage, foreplanes, windscreen and canopy, centre fuselage frames, dorsal spine, fin, inboard flaperons and rear fuselage stage 1

EADS (Spain) right hand wing and leading-edge slats

EADS (Germany) centre fuselage

Four final assembly lines have been set up by the four partner companies:

Alenia Aeronautica Caselle near Turin

BAE SYSTEMS Warton

EADS (Spain) Getafe near Madrid

EADS (Germany) Manching

Production by Tranches

|Tranche |Aircraft |Timescale for deliveries |

|1 |148 |2003 to 2008 |

|2 |236 |2008 to 2013 |

|3 |236 |After 2012 |

|Sub-total |620 |  |

|  |15 |Austria - 2007 to 2009 |

|  |72 |Saudi Arabia - 2009 onwards |

|Total |707 |  |

High Resolution images of the Eurofighter Typhoon can be downloaded from our web site. Hard Copy images are available on request.



Eurofighter partners sign €9 billion Tranche 3A deal

By Craig Hoyle

Partner nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK have signed a €9 billion ($12.7 billion) contract for their first Tranche 3 Eurofighter combat aircraft, ending months of uncertainty over the programme's future prospects.

Conducted in Manching near Munich, Germany, the signing event covered the so-called Tranche 3A production of a combined 112 aircraft for the partner nations. The order split is 40 aircraft for the UK, 31 for Germany, 21 for Italy and 20 for Spain, with the deal also including the delivery of 241 Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines.

Today's signature clears the way for the four partner nations to negotiate the configuration of their new aircraft with the Eurofighter industrial consortium via the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency.

The UK Ministry of Defence says its new commitment is worth around £3 billion ($4.97 billion), making each of its aircraft's unit cost about £75 million. Deliveries to the Royal Air Force will start in 2013, with the aircraft expected to feature "new radar and new weapons". They are likely to "accommodate future installation of additional fuel tanks mounted on the fuselage to greatly increase range and endurance".

BAE Systems says the new aircraft "will be of Tranche 2 standard provisioned with additional capability to deal with projected high-technology future capability enhancements."

The UK wants its future Eurofighters to have new radar, weapons and extended-range capability

The air force chiefs of Germany and the UK earlier this month confirmed their shared interest in equipping Tranche 3 aircraft with an active electronically scanned array radar.

With the Eurofighter nations' first two production contracts having totalled 384 aircraft, the Tranche 3A deal should move them to within 124 of honouring their shared commitment to purchase a combined 620 over the programme's life.

A total of 178 Eurofighters had been delivered by 30 June, including 24 Tranche 2 examples.

BAE says its stake in the Tranche 3A deal will be valued at around £2 billion, with Italy's Finmeccanica expecting to receive business worth over €2.8 billion. EADS has yet to disclose the expected volume of its involvement.

Rolls-Royce, which holds a 37% stake in the Eurojet consortium, says its Tranche 3A production activities will be worth over £300 million.



Friday, June 12, 2009

BAE pitching Typhoon as F-22 eludes

Europeans make move amid U.S. export ban on stealth fighter

By JUN HONGO

Staff writer

Japan should consider adopting the Eurofighter Typhoon as its next mainstay fighter jet even if the U.S. lifts its ban on exporting the stealthy F-22 Raptor, representatives of a U.K.-based defense and aerospace company said Thursday in Tokyo.

The Air Self-Defense Force is eager to replace about 50 of its aging F-4s with the high-tech F-22 for its agility and high stealth capabilities.

But recent reports indicate Washington is unlikely to sell its latest and greatest airplane to just anyone, while others say the ¥25 billion plane is too expensive.

Andy Latham, BAE System Inc. vice president in charge of Typhoon exports, told reporters that since the Typhoon costs only about ¥10 billion, it presents "an effective non-U.S. solution" with significant benefits for Japan.

The Typhoon, made by a consortium of European manufacturers, is already used by the air forces in Europe. Although export of the F-22 would be strictly controlled to prevent its military technology from falling into the wrong hands, Latham said selling the Typhoon will take a "no black box approach."

The biggest difference between the two planes will be the "ability to offer Japan's industry a significant package of work," he said, explaining that the consortium could allow licensed manufacturing of the fighter in Japan and integration with Japanese equipment.

As for the Typhoon's lack of stealth capability, however, BAE System's Craig Penrice said stealth technology should not be considered an issue.

"Stealth is not the silver bullet answer that some might have you think," the former Royal Air Force pilot said, adding that the Typhoon has overall countermeasures against radar detection, including reduced infrared emissions.

By comparison, stealth is "not cheap, not low maintenance and not fully exportable," he said.

In total, Tokyo is considering six candidates to replace its F-4EJ fighters, including the U.S. F-35, which is still under development.

BAE has been pitching the Typhoon to Japan for years, although Tokyo and Washington have a strong defense alliance that leaves little room for non-U.S. bidders, Latham said.

Despite recent reports indicating the U.S. is unlikely to provide the F-22 to Japan, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Tuesday the fighter "remains an option that will be pursued."

Japan's strong interest in the aircraft is based not only on its capabilities but also on its compatibility with the U.S. Air Force, which the ASDF would work closely with in the event Japan is attacked.

Some observers also say Tokyo is eager to update its aircraft with the most up-to-date fighter available so it can claim air superiority over China, which is continuing to build its military power.

Japan's current mainstay fighter is the U.S.-designed F-15 Eagle.



Eurofighter consortium seeks to reinforce relationship with India

MILAN (Thomson Financial) - The Eurofighter consortium is seeking to reinforce its relationship with India in a move to win a $10 billion deal to supply 126 Typhoon aircraft to the country's armed forces, Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore said, citing consortium officials.

The consortium comprises aerospace group EADS, the UK's BAE Systems (other-otc: BAESF.PK - news - people ) and Alenia Aeronautica, a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica SpA.

The newspaper cited Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of EADS unit Military Air Systems, as saying 'as part of our cooperation offer, we invite India to enter the Eurofighter family'.

'We are interested in creating a long-term relationship at political, industrial and military level,' he said.

Andrea Nappi, deputy chairman of Alenia Aeronautica, said if the consortium wins the contract it will build the first 18 planes in Europe and the rest will be manufactured under licence in India as stipulated by the local government, according to the daily.

The newspaper said Russian group Mikoyan is taking part in the tender with its MIG35 aircraft, SAAB AB is offering its Gripen jet, Dassault Aviation the Rafale, Lockheed Martin Corp (nyse: LMT - news - people ) the F-16 Falcon and Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) Co the F/A-18 Super Hornet.





Austria is Typhoon's first export customer with an order for 15 aircraft.

In August 2006, the Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced that they had agreed the required commercial principles which will effectively initiate the purchase of Typhoon aircraft and the associated commitment to the industrial plan to be launched.

BAE Systems will be in the lead in this plan however, the details of these arrangements are confidential between the two Governments.

Typhoon is currently actively being promoted in a number of other markets including Greece, Switzerland, India, Turkey and Japan.

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