The Ministry of Defence has reaffirmed that the Eurofighter Typhoon will continue to underpin Britain’s combat air capabilities well into the 2040s, bridging the gap until the arrival of the Tempest next-generation fighter.
Conservative MP Graham Stuart asked what assessment had been made of the adequacy of the Typhoon Force in maintaining security until the Global Combat Air Programme becomes operational.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard said in his 8 September written response: “The Typhoon is a world-class combat aircraft and will continue to serve as the backbone of the UK’s Combat Air Force until at least the 2040s. To ensure it remains at the cutting edge of capability, the UK is planning significant investment in the Typhoon through-life equipment programme. This includes the delivery and integration of the advanced European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk2) radar, which will enhance the aircraft’s operational effectiveness.”
Pollard added that further details on Typhoon investment will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year.
The ECRS Mk2, developed in the UK, is designed to significantly expand Typhoon’s air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities. It brings electronic warfare features, improved tracking and targeting, and the ability to operate effectively in heavily contested electromagnetic environments.
The upgrade is considered central to ensuring the Typhoon fleet remains viable as a frontline combat system alongside future aircraft.
The Tempest, being developed through the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme with Italy and Japan, is expected to enter service from the mid-2030s. Until then, the MOD’s position is that Typhoon, with ongoing upgrades, will continue to secure the UK’s airspace and meet NATO commitments.
If Typhoon is the backbone of the RAF into the 2040,s then let’s buy more. Another 24-36 would suffice.
Absolutely makes sense, and that’s why we won’t do it. We’ll harp on about F35A’s and Tempest as a deflection mechanism to ensure we don’t spend the money, however pragmatically the spend may appear.
It’s just that we don’t have enough of them. For a start, instead of buying F35As, let’s get Typhoon certified and fitted to carry nukes.
Even the Germans didn’t want to pay for that headache and went with As, can’t see the U.K. funding it.
The UK is always really good at finally getting everything on to a platform and have it working perfectly just before it scraps them. They have been going on about ECRS Mk2 for 15 years and they still don’t really have a plan to get it on the aircraft.
It’s also worth noting that the Typhoon will probably remain the ultimate fourth generation aircraft ever designed and it’s likely to remain the best platform for air policing and a number of other roles that don’t require expensive stealth jets.
It’s probably never going to be possible to get stealth aircraft availability rates up to as high as the Typhoon can achieve. A mixed force of 4th and 5th Gen aircraft will always make sense.
You can argue all you want about the mix of Typhoon, F35A and F35B sqns but the simple truth is we do not have enough fast jets to defend UK airspace (including the Falklands & Cyprus, equip the carriers and make a meaningful contribution to NATO’s eastern flank. We need more aircraft and more sqns. I’d go for 8 Typhoon, 4 F35A & 4 F35B sqns but whatever the mix I reckon we need at least 15 front line sqns.
“further details on Typhoon investment will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan“
Let’s hope that’s for an order for more Typhoons and not just upgrades for the existing force.
So, would it be true to say, radar x-section aside, that with ECRS Mk2 Typhoon is the equal of F-35?
What I detest about this Govt is the wholesale copying of the Cons with news releases. It is reprehensible that the previous Govt were loathed for their performance and this one copies them.
I’ll not vote for Farage the garage, nor Corbyn but, there is no honesty in our politics, who to vote for when the time comes?