IAF pushes for opening of aircraft bids to replace MIG 21s

NEW DELHI (PTI): Keen on getting 126 combat aircraft as early as possible, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is pushing for the commercial bids of the two contenders – Eurofighter and Dassault – to be opened before the end of this month.
 “We are pushing the Defence Ministry to open the bids of these two companies by the end of this month,” a senior IAF official told PTI.  After the opening of the commercial bids, the Defence Ministry will work out the L-1 (lowest bidder) in the tender on the basis of the life cycle cost of operating the two aircraft.

Eurofighter optimistic to win India's MMRCA contract

LONDON (PTI): As India prepares to open the commercial bids for the USD 10.8 billion tender for 126 medium range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), Eurofighter hopes to make the country a partner in its Typhoon fighter jet programme which it says would be a game-changer.

"We are offering India to become a full participant in the programme...fully or partially whatever India chooses to do...get involved in future developments. Combat aircraft programme never stops. It will operate over decades," said Peter Maute, Senior Vice-President of Cassidian Air Systems, the security and defence company of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS).

Eurofighter Typhoon to Display Agile Multi-Role Capability at RIAT 2011

The Eurofighter Typhoon will be making a rare demonstration of its unrivaled agility and engine power with a full weapon load air display at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) from the 15th to 17th July at RAF Fairford. 

BAE Systems Chief Test Pilot for Combat Air, Mark Bowman, will fly a Warton based development aircraft (IPA 5) on each day of the show and a full scale replica of the aircraft, including full weapon display, will be available for general public access.

In addition, the RAF will have a Typhoon on display in the static aircraft park.

IPA 5 will fly in a swing-role configuration, including four Paveway II laser guided bombs, two 1000 ltr fuel tanks, four AMRAAMs (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles) and two ASRAAMs (Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles) and will highlight to the trade and public visitors that the Typhoon is agile regardless of weapon load, pulling up to an impressive 5.5g and in excess of 20 degrees angle of attack.

Mark said: “I am looking forward enormously to displaying at RIAT this year. The aim is simply to demonstrate the Typhoon's power, performance and presence in a truly representative combat load. Different than most other clean aircraft' displays, I hope the observer will get a real sense of why Typhoon is not only at the forefront of world combat aviation, but also acknowledge the role of European technology, engineering and ingenuity in producing this 'awesome' aircraft”.

Most air displays are achieved by reducing fuel and weapon loads, however with this display, IPA 5 demonstrates significant weapon carriage and manoeuvrability whilst still able to demonstrate carefree handling for the pilot.

This will be the biggest ever Royal Tattoo for Typhoon and will highlight how Eurofighter Typhoon is the world’s most advanced, new generation multi-role combat jet. Eurofighter will also be sponsoring the crew’s enclosure at the show.

Eurofighter Working to Strengthen Strategic Partnership with Japan

Reflecting the strong commitment to deepen the strategic partnership with Japan, the Supervisory Board of Eurofighter GmbH will for the first time hold a board meeting in Tokyo.

Senior executives from Eurofighter partner companies (BAE Systems, Alenia Aeronautica, and Cassidian in Spain and Germany) are visiting Japan from 5 July to 8 July to discuss the status of the Eurofighter Typhoon F-X campaign and strategic next steps, and to hold talks with Ambassadors of the four consortium member-nations – the U.K., Germany, Italy and Spain.

Eurofighter, its partner companies and the four member-nations are working to strengthen industrial and technological relations with Japan. All four partner countries are supporting and are committed to the Eurofighter F-X campaign, which is being led by the U.K. government and BAE Systems.

See Detail

Naval Eurofighter: An Aircraft Carrier Version Under Development

The development of carrier aviation during the 20th century led to a dramatic paradigm shift in military capability. For the first time, navies had the ability to exert their influence far over the horizon – supporting land campaigns and allowing hostile fleets to be engaged from beyond the range of a battleship’s guns. From Pearl Harbor to more recent conflicts in the Falklands and the Middle East, the carrier and its aircraft provide commanders with an unrivaled ability to project military and political influence; several acres of sovereign territory which can be moved close to potential trouble spots at short notice.

Historically, carrier aircraft have been highly specialized and designed specifically for the role. In the majority of cases, there is little or no commonality between the aircraft operated by a nation’s air force, and the different aircraft performing the same role in the Navy. Design decisions taken in order to optimise an aircraft for carrier operations can lead to trade-offs elsewhere – such as additional weight and low-speed handling characteristics that compromise performance in other areas of the envelope.

A classic example today is the F-18 in all its versions, heavy, slow and not capable of facing the most advanced threats emerging around the world.

For a number of years, Eurofighter GmbH and its industrial partners have been studying the feasibility of adapting Eurofighter Typhoon for the naval role. These studies have included the assessment of required design changes, piloted simulations to refine the aircraft’s handling qualities and discussions with key suppliers. The studies indicate that these changes are feasible, and would lead to the development of a world-beating, carrier-based fighter aircraft.

Full Article