The new German Eurofighter jets, set to be delivered between 2031 and 2034, will replace part of the German Air Force’s Panavia Tornado fleet that will be retired from service in the coming years.
The order for the 20 jets come in an addition to the 38 Eurofighters ordered by Germany as part of Project Quadriga.
Jorge Tamarit-Degenhardt, Chief Executive of Eurofighter, said: “This order is excellent news for the Eurofighter programme and our industrial partners, as the programme closes-in on the historic milestone of one million flying hours. The big news for today, however, is the underlining of Germany’s long-term commitment to sovereign European air power.
“With a service life well beyond 2060, the Eurofighter jets’ technical capabilities will allow full integration into the Europe’s future air combat environment.”
Airbus will equip the 20 new German Eurofighters with the latest sensors. This includes, for example, the new electronic E-Scan radar.
In parallel, Airbus will add electronic warfare capabilities to the German Eurofighter fleet by integrating the Arexis sensor suite, developed by Sweden’s Saab, in existing and newly built aircraft. These significant technological upgrades will further enhance the already broad operational capabilities of German Air Force Eurofighters.
“The new order underscores Germany’s commitment to the Eurofighter Programme and will ensure NATO remains agile and dominant in the air domain. The 20 Tranche 5 jets and 52 EJ200 engines will safeguard German and European skies, and will sustain and strengthen the continent’s defence industry for decades.”
The Germany Eurofighter contract follows new order signed by the Spanish Air Force, for 25 jets, and the Italian Air Force, for 24 jets, at the end of 2024.
The Eurofighter programme supports over 100,000 jobs across 400 companies in Europe. As Europe’s largest defence programme, Eurofighter continues to demonstrate its critical role in maintaining European security and sustaining the continent’s defence industrial base.
Image: Eurofighter – Back row, left to right: Jens Plötner, Staatssekretär im Bundesministerium der Verteidigung shakes hands with Michael Schoellhorn Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airbus Defence and Space. Front row, left to right: Jorge Tamarit-Degenhardt, CEO Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH; Simon Ellard, GM NETMA; Ralf Breiling, CEO EUROJET Turbo GmbH.
If you would like to join our community and read more articles like this then please click here
