Following lengthy speculation about the purchase of new fighter aircraft for its air force, Madrid has now approved the acquisition of 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons and a mid-life upgrade (MLU) for part of its existing fleet as part of the “Halcon” project.
The move, announced on December 14 as part of a series of other government approvals, paves the way for the signing of a contract with Airbus Defense & Space for Tranche 4 Eurofighters, primarily intended to replace the Spanish Air Force’s (Ejército del Aire, EdA for short) Boeing EF-18 Hornets based in Gando in the Canary Islands from 2025. These are still F/A-18A/B and the oldest Hornets in Europe. Incidentally, “Halcon” also already includes a planned MLU for the Spanish Tranche 3 aircraft.
“We are grateful for Spain’s strong support for the Eurofighter program and look forward to signing the ‘Halcon’ contract shortly, which will take the Spanish Air Force to the next technological level,” said Michael Schöllhorn, CEO of Airbus Defense & Space. Incidentally, this was a proposal made by the company to Madrid in 2020. Most modern version
The 20 aircraft will be EdA’s most modern and powerful fighters and – until the 38 German aircraft of the “Quadriga” project, which has also been secured – the most modern Typhoon ever, as they will be equipped with an AESA radar, more precisely the E-Scan or the European Common Radar System Mk.1 (ECRS Mk.1) (developed on the basis of the ECRS Mk.0 of the recently delivered Kuwaiti Typhoon). recently delivered Kuwaiti Eurofighter). Incidentally, as part of this program, the Spanish Air Force had requested specific capabilities to operate from the Canary Islands. This includes full anti-ship capability as well as the mandatory anti-corrosion treatment against salty air, required for all aircraft that regularly fly over the sea.
No F-35 after all?
Following the decisions taken by Switzerland and Finland for the F-35 and the 5th generation, Spain’s decision in favor of the improved Long Term Evolution (LTE) variant of the Eurofighter is a consolation for European industry, albeit a small one in comparison. Incidentally, Austria has so far been the only European export customer for the Eurofighter, and even in Spain the decision was not entirely certain until the very end. The Spanish Ministry of Defense has been trying for some time to replace its ageing F-18 and AV-8B Harrier II, which are outdated in terms of avionics and sensors, and has also carefully examined the F-35 and sent requests for information (RFIs) to the USA. https://militaeraktuell.at/militaer-aktuell-4-2021-ist-ab-sofort-erhaeltlich/ The decision has now put an end to Lockheed-Martin’s efforts, which have been described as “aggressive”, for the time being. Or not quite? For the time being, it remains unclear what will be used to replace the twelve AV-8B Harriers mentioned above on the new Spanish amphibious landing ship “Juan Carlos I” (launched in 2010) with its corresponding “ski jump” bow (the real aircraft carrier “Príncipe de Asturias” from 1988 was scrapped in 2017). The only option is the STOVL version F-35B of the JSF – there is no “navalized” Eurofighter. But for the medium term, the US stealth jet in Spain has at least been put on hold – incidentally, according to US newspaper reports, apparently also by the United Arab Emirates, which recently informed the USA by letter that it cannot and will not accept the Biden administration’s terms for 50 F-35s from China. However, this announcement could also just be a means of exerting pressure; according to UAE-AF commander Al Alawi, they want the F-35 despite the recently agreed agreed 80 Rafále still (see report).
And then there is the Franco-German 6th generation FCAS project, which is (too) late, but is slowly getting off the ground, and which Spain joined later. France in particular has already made it clear to Ursula von der Leyen as German Defense Minister that F-35 ideas are not at all compatible with the FCAS project. Meanwhile, the FCAS intended as the Eurofighter heir will – even according to the most optimistic forecasts – only be operational in the late 2030s and, in addition to vague hints Dassault’s regarding a carrier version for its Aeronaval, there are no efforts to derive a STOVL variant from the core of the future air combat system.
Here for more news about Airbus Defense and Space and here for further Eurofighter news.
