After losing multiple foreign fighter contracts to F-35 Lightning II aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon is poised to make a roaring comeback with orders for as many as 160 aircraft.
Aviation Journalist Gareth Jennings suggested on X that Spain is set to sign a contract for 25 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters as part of the Halcon II program, with negotiations now complete. The new order will supplement the 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets Spain ordered in 2022 as part of its previous Halcon project.
The Spanish government is yet to announce its decision. However, there has been much speculation that Madrid would likely expand its fleet by adding more upgraded Eurofighter Typhoons to its inventory, given that the next-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS) platform, which it is developing in partnership with France and Germany, is still several years away from induction.
Notably, Spain is a part of the consortium that produces the Eurofighter Typhoon alongside Germany, Italy, and the UK.
These reports come after Germany’s surprise announcement to buy 20 Eurofighter Typhoons in May and Italy’s beginning the process of purchasing two dozen jets in July this year.
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In addition to a potential order by Spain, Gareth wrote in his post that four more countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Poland, are contemplating adding Eurofighter Typhoons to their inventory.
Gareth claims that Qatar would likely add a dozen jets, Saudi Arabia will order 54, Turkey is looking at 40 jets, and Poland can seal a deal for about 32 aircraft.
Of the above-listed states, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are existing users of the Eurofighter Typhoon, whereas Turkey and Poland are looking to diversify their fleets, which are currently dominated by fighter jets of US origin.
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Earlier, Germany had blocked the purchase of the aircraft to Saudi Arabia, citing concerns over its involvement in the Yemen conflict and human rights violations, such as the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, the export ban was lifted earlier this year—paving the way for a potential purchase. The kingdom, however, is yet to make an announcement.
Similarly, Germany has so far blocked the sale of the Eurofighter to Turkey on account of its questionable human rights record. Nonetheless, Ankara has been lobbying with the Olaf Scholz administration, and there is optimism that Berlin might authorize the sale soon.
Turkey has been keen on the aircraft to modernize its aging fleet, which has been in limbo since the country was kicked out of the F-35 consortium.
Moreover, the European Consortium has pitched the aircraft to another country: Poland. As per reports, the consortium has projected the aircraft as a “perfect fit” for Poland. Earlier this year, reports in Polish media suggested that the country’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) was seriously considering the Eurofighter’s bid.
Having acquired the F-35 stealth fighter and the FA-50 light attack aircraft, the European country is working on an acquisition plan for another multi-role combat aircraft to bolster its fleet in the face of new security threats triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to the states mentioned above, India is another country that could become the next potential customer of the Eurofighter Typhoon if the country’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) bid opens up.
In light of these new possibilities opening up for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which lost multiple contracts to Lockheed Martin F-35 in recent years, the aircraft is back in the reckoning in the global combat aircraft export market.
Eurofighter Is Back In The Game
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multirole, supersonic, canard delta wing, twin-engine European multinational fighter produced by a team comprising Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
The aircraft is currently operational with the Air Forces of nine countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.
The recent surge in its sales is significant as it comes after predictions that the Eurofighter Typhoon was trailing in the export market. Last year in February, Airbus SE’s defense unit revealed that the company was planning to increase production of its Eurofighter jet and other important weapons systems but had held back due to the inability of governments to commit to orders.
While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered military modernization across the continent, most countries looking to modernize their Air Force opted for the American F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft. The result was that the F-35 outperformed all competitors worldwide, including the Dassault Rafale, Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen, and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
In previous conversations with the EurAsian Times, analysts surmised that while the Eurofighter Typhoon was a capable 4.5th-generation aircraft, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s success in the export market was due to its high level of interoperability with allies and partners within the NATO alliance.
However, as it stands now, the Eurofighter Typhoon has made a resurgence after a long period of losing contracts to F-35 across Europe.
Earlier this year, Eurofighter chief executive Giancarlo Mezzanotto predicted that more orders would likely line up for the aircraft, reversing the tide. At the time, he said he expected the surge in aircraft sales to continue, and the company was keeping an eye out for export opportunities in Poland and Turkey and a possible follow-on deal with Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, Mezzanotto set an ambitious target of 200 aircraft for future sales last year, which included repurchases by partner nations, including Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Mezzanotto listed four factors contributing to the current surge in sales: the Eurofighter’s operational importance, the type’s capability development plan being planned by the program partners, the Eurofighter’s contribution to the preservation of Europe’s defense industry, and the program’s economic impact. As evident by new reports, all of these are driving sales.
If all the countries mentioned by Gareth indeed place new orders, the Eurofighter Typhoon’s production would continue well into 2035.
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