Figures released by the UK government show that, for the first time, Typhoon has used its cannon in anger.
The figures highlight that between January and March, RAF Reapers performed eight air strikes in Iraq and 12 in Syria. Its Tornados carried out 52 and 15, respectively, while the totals for the Typhoon were 104 and two. Raytheon Systems’ Paveway IV precision-guided bomb was the weapon of choice for the deployed Typhoon force, which released 252 during this time period, plus the notable 26 rounds from the type’s Mauser 27mm cannon.
The Mauser BK27 is a 27mm calibre cannon manufactured by Mauser (now part of Rheinmetall) of Germany. It was developed in the late 1960’s for the Multi Role Combat Aircraft programme that ultimately became the Panavia Tornado, it is used on a variety of aircraft including Typhoon, which carries 150 rounds.
There was a proposal based on cost grounds in 1999 to limit the gun fit to only the first 53 batch 1 Typhoons aircraft destined for the RAF, only on the basis that the guns would be used as ballast and not used operationally, but this decision was reversed in 2006 and spares and ammunition are now frequently purchased by the RAF.
Last year, the government announced that the life of Typhoon is to be extended into 2040 and that two additional squadrons will be created, giving a total of front-line 7 squadrons.
“We will be extending the life of our multirole Typhoon for 10 extra years through to 2040, meaning we will be able to create 2 additional squadrons. This will give us a total of front-line 7 squadrons, consisting of around 12 aircraft per squadron. We will also invest in their ground attack capability and fit them with a new Active Electronically Scanned Array radar to ensure they can continue to operate in hostile environments in the future.”
The RAF currently field 192 combat aircraft, made up of 87 Tornados; 53 Tranche 1 Typhoons; and 52 Tranche 2 and Tranche 3A Typhoons, deliveries of which are ongoing.
Any idea what it was fired at?
Thin air…..
Should be fired at whoever spell checked that article.
Shock horror, team of volunteers sometimes make mistakes. Though that being said, I don’t see any in the article.
UK Defence Journal “Tornado’s”, in the context of “Its Tornado’s carried out 52 and 15”, is certainly wrong.
You meant *Tornados. That’s one example.
“I don’t see any in the article.”
Well, that explains a lot!
I don’t see any either. We’ll just keep it netween us.
Probably at the sheer stupidity of getting rid of everything BUT the Typhoon….
A unicorn
Dont tell deadpool
Does that mean are first jet force is being reduced? As if we have 7 typhoon squadrons, each with 12 aircraft that’s only (buy my maths) 84 aircraft. Also that government said that an additional 137 f35 are to be brought, however have only planned for two squadron one raft and one RN. So is it that the 137 will come in over time replacing older f35, like the 160 or so typhoons we ordered.
I think yes.
If I read the announcement on the 137 correctly, they stated at the time, that the UK would eventually buy 137 over the life of the program, which I always assumed would mean replacing early models with later ones as they age.
How many f35’s we will actually end up having in service, at any one point in time, is currently unknown and i suspect will come down to future governments to decide. My guess would be somewhere around 80.
Thanks.
Miss the jags at Coltishall–(and Coltishall)
Miss the jump-jets
–and the mighty nimrods
—and our air-show at St Athan—
And the big V
but i’m still immensley proud to live where i do—but we are still a prize worth taking, if we give anyone half a chance.
Just don’t invade just yet please–not till we get a few F 35s anyway
And at one point it was going to be a blast weight only – deleted on cost grounds!
Finger trouble. They fly to high too for it to be a ground strike.
we need this; UK in greater danger than during WWII, all angles; we are where we are and have to make good.