As part of a significant push to bolster its defensive stance and support the aerospace industry, Germany has announced the purchase of an additional 20 Eurofighter combat aircraft.
The decision was unveiled by Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the ILA Berlin Air Show, a platform where Germany’s major defense contractors, invigorated by increased defense budgets due to geopolitical tensions, showcase their capabilities.
The new Eurofighters, expected to cost approximately €2 billion, will help aircraft manufacturer Airbus maintain a “continuous” production line, as per Scholz’s announcement.
With 38 jets already on order, this additional tranche takes Germany’s tally to 58 new Eurofighters, solidifying the Luftwaffe’s combat aircraft fleet.
The acquisition comes at a time when the Eurofighter, a twin-engine multirole fighter and a product of a consortium between Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo, holds the status of being the backbone of the German combat aircraft fleet.
Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus, responded positively to Chancellor Scholz’s statement, indicating that the order for 20 more Typhoons would extend the production for an additional two years, ensuring that the line remains active through 2032.
There’s also a strategic dimension to the decision, as the German government is actively involved in the next-generation aircraft under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program—a collaborative European project set to produce new combat aircraft types by 2040.
However, with potential delays or even program failures, Germany, alongside France, is incrementally upgrading their legacy fleets, with the Eurofighter in Germany and the Rafale in France receiving new capabilities.
The Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E) program aims to introduce automated sensor management for all Typhoon radars, allowing for multiple simultaneous tasks while reducing pilot workload. The upgrades will include an improved cockpit interface, enhanced Radio Frequency Interoperability, and initial operating capability for additional German electronic warfare capabilities.
The Eurofighter, equipped with the Saab Arexis Electronic Warfare suite and AGM-88E AARGM anti-radiation missiles, showcased at the ILA Berlin, set to replace the Tornado in the SEAD role for the German Air Force by 2030.
Furthermore, the P4E package includes undertakings to extend the service life of the Eurofighter, ensuring its availability for decades and its role in bringing FCAS technologies to maturity.
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Relevant articles:
– Germany leans into Eurofighter with new order of 20 jets, Defense News, 06/06/2024
– Germany’s Scholz says 20 more Eurofighters to be ordered, Breaking Defense, 06/05/2024
– Germany announces order for 20 additional Eurofighter jets, AeroTime, 06/05/2024
– Germany Will Purchase 20 New Eurofighter Tranche 5 Jets, The Aviationist, 06/05/2024