In a recent published by Strategy& on the significance of the Eurofighter program for the European economy the socio-economic consequences of additional Eurofighter Typhoon-orders for both the domestic and export markets. As currently reported by Dow Jones Newswires Airbus Defense & Space-CEO Michael Schöllhorn is now calling on the German government to quickly order a further 50 or so Eurofighter fighter jets of the latest Tranche 5.
“A good investment”
“Four billion for Eurofighter is a good investment. We need a reliable commitment from the federal government before the 2025 general election that the fifth tranche will come. Otherwise we will lose our suppliers,” Schöllhorn told the German news magazine Spiegel a few days ago. Suppliers are already looking for alternative business areas, for example in civil aviation. “The German government must create planning security in the form of orders or, ideally, long-term purchase guarantees. Our readiness for war depends on this, which Defense Minister (note: Boris) Pistorius repeatedly talks about,” says Schöllhorn.
He accused the German government of still failing to learn the necessary lessons from the war in Ukraine despite the situation in Eastern Europe. war in Ukraine and had not yet implemented the “turning point”: “The symbol was good, but the implementation is still inadequate. We are doing too little, we are too slow. The turning point has not yet arrived in the minds of many. Anyone who is serious about this must make defense a top priority and sustainably increase military spending and production in their own country or in Europe,” said Schellhorn.
The latter probably also applies with regard to the industrial basis of the future Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS). On the other hand, the company boss welcomed the delivery of 48 additional Eurofighters from British-Spanish-Italian-German joint production to Saudi Arabiawhich the German government – after five years of embargo – is now open to. The traffic light coalition has also recognized that the order is “necessary in terms of industrial policy”.
Tornado replacement only half secured
The German Air Force currently has 138 Eurofighters from three tranches. The Tranche 1 – which is still somewhat extended until 2032 – will be replaced by the 38 Tranche 4s of the Quadriga program by then, which are already in production (including eight two-seaters). They will be equipped with the ECRS Mk1 AESA radar, a system developed by Hensoldt built version of the ECRS Mk0 which is used in the jets for Kuwait (-> report) and Qatar (-> report) will be delivered. The 15 aircraft optimized for electronic warfare and air defence (SEAD/DEAD)which will be delivered to the Bundeswehr are not additionally planned, but are to be created from existing T3A cells.
However, the German Air Force will still be flying around 85 Tornados IDS/ECR until 2030, with almost 200 technician hours for every flying hour. The aircraft are to be replaced by the aforementioned 15 Eurofighters on the one hand, and 35 F-35A (nuclear sharing, -> Germany also opts for the F-35) from Lockheed Martin – but the bottom line is “only” 50 aircraft. The possible influx of Tranche 5 jets could close the foreseeable gap in the fleet. In addition, all on-board computers could then be renewed in the course of the “Long Term Evolution” (LTE) planned with the Tranche 5 influx, as more and more computing power is required for packages such as P5E (new cockpit, new avionics structure, system of systems, manned-unmanned teaming, …). This would be an urgently needed prerequisite for later capability enhancements and the FCAS.
This Tranche 5 could then also be offered to Austria, where, despite the planned moderate update of the existing fleet, the next government will probably have to decide on a successor to the 15 red-white-red Tranche 1 single-seaters.
Here for more Eurofighter news and here to further news about Airbus Defense and Space.
