Eurofighter and the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) have signed a contract to progress development, testing and certification of the Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) for the Eurofighter Typhoon, the organisations stated.
According to Eurofighter, the AMK is intended to support faster integration of new weapons and the certification of new external loads, including future anti-radar missiles designed for the suppression and destruction of enemy air defence radars.
The company said the modification kit will also support the integration of additional air-to-ground weapons and air-to-air missiles for core customer nations operating the AMK variant. Future integrations are expected to include updated standoff missile capabilities.
Eurofighter stated that the AMK will also enable improvements to the aircraft’s air combat performance, including enhanced target acquisition and improved close-quarters combat capability. The changes are expected to be driven by modifications to the aircraft’s fuselage strakes, flaperons and leading-edge root, which Eurofighter said will result in increased maximum wing lift. Development and production of the AMK will be conducted by the Eurofighter partner companies Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Jorge Tamarit-Degenhardt, Chief Executive Officer of Eurofighter, said the agreement marked a key step for the programme. “Signing the AMK contract marks a major milestone for the Eurofighter programme, further enhancing the jet’s long-term capability,” he said.
“The AMK will provide a huge boost to our Air Forces during their missions, significantly enhancing the integration of air-to-surface configurations and offering greater flexibility in stores carriage, while supporting flight performance. The Eurofighter Typhoon will continue to be the backbone of European air defence into the 2060s, and capability enhancements, such as the AMK, will ensure the platform is operationally effective to fulfil that role.”
Air Vice Marshal Simon Ellard (ret.), General Manager of NETMA, said the contract supports a range of improvements for the aircraft. “The signature of the AMK contract is a significant achievement for the Eurofighter Programme, enabling faster weapon integration, heavier load certification and host of other improvements,” he said.
“This contract will continue the evolution of the Eurofighter Typhoon, and reflects the Programme’s commitment to innovation and delivering the capabilities needed by our Air Forces.”
Image credit Eurofighter AMK: Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH
I would like to see Typhoon get the conformal fuel tanks that were wind tunnel tested. Greater reach is important.
Agreed, but as things stand at the moment it’ll probably take us five years to decide whether to join in at all.
Doom-mongers, Assemble!
Absolutely. Tell me what we have got to be pleased about and I’ll stop feeling negative.
I was under the impression that the conformal tanks, as designed, imposed an unacceptable penalty on flight performance and so were dropped (unintentional pun) from consideration.
The conformal fuel tanks improved the aerodynamics so well it increased lift and therefore MTOW by 5%, but everyone is happy to just use aerial tankers to top up after take-off rather than the trade-off of fuel over weapon load.
Do you have any sources for your statements because as you can see, there are different understandings on this? TIA.
Unfortunately they failed the testing…
Serious issues around stability.
Also, its often ignored but one of the reasons for the USN to cancel the Super Hornet Conformals was how they dramatically complicate maintenance.
Tranche 3 onwards are equipped to carry them but no customers have wanted them. I’mamazed that the aerodynamic upgrades are finally going ahead: they were proposed so many years ago I thought the idea was long dead.
Anti-radar missiles? There aren’t any future ones coming down the line in Europe apart from one mode of Stratus RS, are there?
Germany is currently integrating AARGM ER onto its typhoons and the only other anti radiation missile is STRATUS RS and LO. Given the size of STRATUS RS and LO I surmise this is the work being carried out under this contract to integrate them.
Ah, AARGM would make more sense. Given that the shape of Stratus LO changed drastically not long ago it seems a little early to start aerodynamics integration.
Spear 3 might also count as an anti-radar missile.
Other Google searches say this is going on the Tranches that Germany is buying so I doubt the RAF will see it unless further batches are bought.
Based on what I’ve read it looks to be part of the P4E programme which would be nice so at least the Trache 3 aircraft will get this. Fingers crossed.
Anti radar missiles for defence suppression, what a novel idea. Someone really should introduce the concept to the RAF…
Re-introduce.
It is somewhat irksome that they had the capability then gave it up.
The MoD gapping a valuable capability? What a wild concept…
I do genuinely wonder if anyone in the MoD has ever gone to the government of the day and tried to explain what bare minimum actually means. Surely the way its meant to work is the government sets out what it wants to do, and the MoD says what it needs to do it?
The RAF is happy with standoff cruise missile strikes to destroy SAM sities and personal jamming rather than Wild Weasel flights and area jammers.
Shame that SAM’s and their radars are capable of moving leaving cruise missile strikes a far from reliable solution.
Ask Pakistan about that…
Which is why F35 is supposed to be getting Spear-3 and Spear-EW. If and when money is available, the integration on to Typhoon will be a given.
With future proofing like this? Typhoon shows what an excellent design it is, and was from the start. It would make sense to cap the order for F35 to carrier variant only, cancel the F35A order. Then invest in Typhoon.
Before any biter mentions nuclear role…that was a sop to the Orange Oaf. Does anyone actually believe a manned fighter with a free fall is going to get through layered air defence in 2026? We have proven kit with Storm Shadow, stick a mini warhead on it. Oh, forgot, common sense does not inhabit the realm of HM Government or the MoD.
Ain’t that the truth
Too true, F35 has turned into a badly armed turkey with the added gift of tying us to one of the most despicable regimes on the planet. Better to maximise typhoon and tempest, buy enough f35s for the carriers and look to use unmanned to support them in the future.
Too sensible that approach but realistic.
There is no good option for unmanned.
Very sensible. If we scrapped the F35A order and invested the money into Tempest then we might get Tempest not long after the F35A might be delivered. When are we expected to get the 12 F35A that have been discussed??
Unlikely, any pocket money will be going towards tempest
Yep buying the A is an insane choice.. hobbling the potential for the carriers and really adding very little.
Not sure why they don’t go all in on keeping the typhoon fleet going… buying an extra 20-30 to keep the numbers and having 3 squadrons of 35B + OCU for the carriers..
In reality there is an F35 mafia in the RAF that does not want to keep supporting typhoon…
These aerodynamic modifications were mooted over a decade ago, this is purely German industry falling back on Thypoon, in the wake of the impending failure of the Franko, Spanish, German gunfight.
I don’t blame them, they are desperately blowing the dust off old Thypoon modifications and probably trying to convince the German Airforce, that a 1980’s design is the way forward for the 2040s and beyond.
Smacks of desperation…