What You Need to Know: The Eurofighter Typhoon, a joint project of the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain, represents a landmark in European defense integration. Designed as a fourth-generation multirole fighter with delta-canard aerodynamics, the Typhoon offers advanced avionics, powerful engines, and impressive agility. Some experts even remark it might be the best fighter jet ever produced in Europe. 

-Notably, it has proven effective in combat roles, including operations in Libya and against ISIS. While the Typhoon remains a potent airframe, modern warfare's evolving demands, highlighted by the Ukraine War, have prompted European defense circles to contemplate a sixth-generation successor, such as the proposed “Typhoon Tempest.”

-Until then, the Typhoon stands as a symbol of European defense unity and capability.

The Eurofighter Typhoon was a Symbol of European Integration

At the height of the Cold War between the two nuclear-armed juggernauts, the United States and the Soviet Union, the early stages of what would ultimately become the European Union (EU) were slowly coming into form. 

At first uniting economies in a common trade area, surrounded by a massive tariff wall, of course, the “Eurocrats” who were behind the slowly growing supranational body envisaged a day when Europe would have a common defense as well as a common trade area, separate from the American-led NATO alliance. The development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, a marvelous fourth-generation warplane in the 1980s was one such example of these fantasies.

The Eurofighter did not take wing until 1983.

Background

A quartet of nations developed this legendary bird, and it is an impressive warplane. Those nations were the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and Italy. A highly versatile fourth-generation multirole fighter, the warplane continues its iconic service not only to the Europeans but also to other nations, as the Europeans have smartly used this as an export model. 

Indeed, as the Indian quest for a new multirole fighter races forward, a panoply of nations have made the pitch for their product, America’s Lockheed Martin and Boeing are trying to sell New Delhi on their preferred export warplanes, as are the French, the Swiss, and even the Russians.

Eurofighter Makes Its Indian Play

But little appreciated is the bid by the consortium behind the Eurofighter. And the Indians should seriously consider this bird, as it is comparable to the U.S. fourth-generation warplanes but might even be cheaper than those, although India would likely prefer a fifth-generation warplane, which is why they’re looking at the American F-35 Lightning II and the Russian Su-75 Checkmate.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is designed with a delta-canard configuration. Such a design allows for greater maneuverability and stability when engaged at high angles of attack. Therefore, the Eurofighter is a powerful dogfighter. 

Some Important Features

One of the Typhoon’s most important features is its advanced avionics and sensor suite. The Typhoon integrates a sophisticated sensor fusion system, including the use of a scanned pulse Doppler radar that can track multiple targets simultaneously. 

We’re in Star Trek territory here, guys. 

The Doppler system is then enhanced by advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems, notably the infrared search and track (IRST) along with the helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) this allows for the Typhoon pilots to lock onto targets without pointing the aircraft directly at them. 

So, think of Master Chief’s heads-up display in the Halo video game series.

As for propulsion, the Typhoon has an especially powerful engine. It is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 engines. With these engines, the Typhoon, with its delta-wing configuration and stylish canards, can achieve speeds of up to Mach two and has a thrust-to-weight ratio that makes it truly one of the most agile fighters in the sky.

Interestingly, the Americans experimented with creating an F-16 variant, the F-16XL, in a delta configuration. It did not have canards, though, as American engineers tend to think planes with canards are harder to maintain and, therefore, more expensive. Although, as I’ve written previously, the F-16XL is one of the most underrated planes of its class. Sadly, it never gained traction. 

But the Europeans must have been inspired on some level by the American experiment. Because they embraced such a design, with canards no less, with great aplomb. 

A Track Record of Combat Effectiveness 

Anyway, the Eurofighter Typhoon has proven itself in combat. Seeing as it is a multirole fighter, it is not only built for air-to-air combat but for air-to-ground attack missions as well. In 2011, during the Libyan Air War that NATO waged against that country’s strongman, Muammar Gaddafi, the Typhoon saw its first combat mission and blasted targets on the ground with wanton abandon.

From there, the Typhoon was used against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, highlighting its lethal precision strike capabilities as well as its recon capacity. 

Eurofighter Typhoon: What Does the Future Hold for This Magnificent Bird?

The European consortium in charge of maintaining the Typhoon has done a stellar job in keeping the warplane relevant in our constantly evolving battlespace. Yet, the future of the Eurofighter Typhoon is now in question. This is because the Ukraine War has highlighted certain permanently changed realities of modern warfare that the Typhoon might no longer be equipped for. 

What’s more, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has led many European defense analysts to call for an entirely new Eurofighter, a sixth-generation bird that incorporates things like AI.

There’s been talk of a “Typhoon Tempest” or other next-generation Eurofighters that would eventually replace even the most updated Typhoons. Nevertheless, the Eurofighter has more than proven its staying power and will continue to be a symbol of what a united Europe could have achieved as a common defense zone and will continue to make money for the consortium involved in its export.

About the Author: 

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.