The operational fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons in service since the second half of 2003 achieved the impressive milestone of 100,000 flying hours in January 2011.
This total was celebrated today during an event held at Eurofighter headquarters in Munich, Germany. At the event were senior representatives from the Eurofighter programme, Eurofighter management agency NETMA alongside senior staff from all six customer nations including those from the export customers Austria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The 100,000 hours were achieved flying the Typhoons in the bitter cold weather of the Baltic Sea, in the temperate climate of the Tyrrhenian Coast, in the torrid heat of the Arabic Peninsula and over the rough South Atlantic Sea. A range of operational scenarios have tested the Typhoon to its limits and is testament to the reliability; operational readiness and the durability of the platform and systems under operational conditions.
Enzo Casolini, CEO of Eurofighter GmbH stated “This achievement for the Eurofighter programme demonstrates the maturity reached by the platform and the reliability of it as a defence system. In addition, this key event shows in clear terms what can be achieved through international cooperation and partnership. With so much achieved to date and so much still to look forward to, I am proud to say I am part of such a successful programme”.
With the first 5,000 flying hours achieved by November 2005, 10,000 hours came in August 2006, 20,000 in May 2007 and by August 2008 the Typhoon had surpassed 50,000 hours. This increase in activity matches the steady delivery of aircraft to the customers. The operational fleets have more than 260 aircraft in service - the largest number among the new generation fighters available in the world today.
These fleets are spread across a wide range of squadrons and deployments; six from the UK (four in Coningsby, one in Leuchars and one in Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands); four in Italy (two in Grosseto and two in Gioia del Colle); three in Germany (Laage, Neuburg and Nörvenich), as well as one each in Spain, Austria and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - all having contributed to the 100,000 flying hour total.
With Tranche 2 production in full swing, all 148 Tranche 1 aircraft delivered and the retrofit programme bringing them all to their latest block configuration, the Typhoon is establishing its footprint within the partner and export Customer air forces as the backbone of the operations both in terms of air dominance and ground support roles.
This new milestone for the Eurofighter programme provides another strong message about the operational availability of the Typhoon and highlights the benefits of investing in such a capable aircraft. Video footage of each nation participating in the 100,000th hour was shown to guests at the event. The video is available on line at
www.eurofighter.com/media/video-library.html
No comments:
Post a Comment