BAE Systems awarded £1.3bn Eurofighter Typhoon order

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BAE Systems has been awarded £1.3bn to support the production of 38 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft for the German Air Force.

Eurofighter Typhoon
Typhoon on runway (Image: BAE Systems)

Work on the programme starts in 2021 at BAE Systems’ sites in Lancashire and will run through to the mid-2020s.

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BAE Systems said it will deliver over a third of the components for the new Typhoons, including the aircraft’s front fuselage and tail. Final assembly will be undertaken by Eurofighter consortium member Airbus in Manching, Germany.

The new aircraft will join the existing German Air Force Typhoon fleet from the mid-2020s and will be equipped with technology that includes an advanced electronically-scanning radar. With a service life beyond 2060, the new Typhoon’s technical capabilities will reportedly allow full integration into the Europe’s future air combat environment.

“Germany’s decision to purchase additional Typhoons reinforces the aircraft’s position as one of the world’s most successful combat military aircraft,” said Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive BAE Systems. “The Typhoon programme makes a significant contribution to the UK economy, generating billions of pounds through exports and supporting more than 15,000 jobs across the UK.”

According to BAE Systems, the combat air sector delivers £6bn of revenue to the UK annually and accounts for 87 per cent of the nation’s defence exports, with a significant proportion coming from the Typhoon. The company added that export sales of Typhoon have returned more than double the UK government’s £12bn investment into the programme.

BAE Systems’ latest Typhoon-related order follows the signing of an agreement between Eurofighter GmbH and NETMA (NATO Eurofighter 2000 and Tornado Management Agency) to support the modernisation of the German Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. The new Typhoon Quadriga aircraft will replace Tranche 1 versions currently in service.

In a statement, Miguel Ángel Martín Pérez, general manager, NETMA, said: “Quadriga comes at a strategic moment for everyone involved. First of all, it will reinforce the air defence not only of the German Air Force but also within the NATO environment and secondly, it underpins the possibilities of the programme to succeed in further export opportunities. Finally, it will also support the European aerospace industry and it is a very important step towards building a bridge to the future fighter programmes of our core nations.”