The Damocles pod has an advantage over Sniper and Lightning III in that it features an integral datalink capability to transfer reconnaissance and target data directly to other stations such as those found on French Air Force tankers. While the Eurofighter … His article provoked a huge response from readers around the world. The French Rafales can also carry the ASMP-A nuclear standoff missile which is a unique capability. The lower the altitude, the greater Rafale’s margin of advantage; the higher one goes, the better Typhoon performs relatively. This means that the Rafale will continue to improve, especially in the EW and sensor fusion department throughout the 2020s. In practice, however, Typhoon users with Sniper or Lightning III can off-board data using the jet’s own datalinks. The Eurofighter project survived the collapse of defense spending at the end of the Cold War, with a prototype first flying in 1994. eurofighter ; Derived terms * typhoon fifth Related terms * tycoon See also * cyclone * hurricane * tornado storm . Both fighters will pull 9G all day long in air combat configuration at most altitudes. The new jets will reportedly also replace older Tranche 1 Eurofighters in service. (Radar 0 will out-range both against airborne targets). – In A2G, India ordered SPICE glide bombs for Rafale German defense officials on Thursday evening stressed that no decisions had been made besides reducing the playing field to the FA-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. Frankly, Switzerland should be flying Gripen C/D or possibly E/F given their national budget, neutrality and mission requirements and I’d wager anyone who looks at it from an operational requirements point of view would come to a similar conclusion. However, it could complicate logistics, adding more expense and forcing the German Air Force to maintain two supply chains. By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Early Bird Brief. This is because modern SAM systems such as the S-400 and HQ-9 are highly mobile and have such long range that a subsonic cruise missile launched from a safe distance would take tens of minutes to arrive. This is a significant advantage over Typhoon in the TAC-R role. I would say this has to be counted as the definitive Rafale v Typhoon comparison for the early 2020s. Sweden's Air Force said its Gripen E fighter jets are designed to kill Russia's fearsome Sukhoi fighters and have a "black belt" at it. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’, I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Typhoon is designed to excel in acceleration, climb rate and supersonic performance and agility at high altitudes for maximum beyond visual range capability. Typhoon is happiest at 50,000ft and above. I will add an estimate in brackets for the Kuwaiti/Qatari standard Typhoon with the ‘Radar 0’ version of the CAPTOR-E AESA which is flying and enters service this year in Kuwait. NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management … The defence secretary has unveiled plans for a new RAF fighter jet, the Tempest, which will eventually replace the Eurofighter Typhoon. He is based in Cologne, Germany. The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations. The main argument is to keep European companies involved in building combat aircraft and, perhaps even more importantly, staying clear of disturbing Franco-German momentum in armaments cooperation. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images. US development efforts have emphasised these cooperative engagement capabilities (CEC) far more than French ones over the past two decades, and Typhoon benefits from that weapon heritage. In 2015, Research Fellow at the RUSI Think-tank Justin Bronk, compared Europe’s two middle-weight fighter aircraft, the Typhoon and Rafale,  The relatively subtle differences between these two superbly capable aircraft have inspired a great deal of heated debate, often poisoned by pride and nationalism. At time of writing the following comparisons would be for the latest F3R Standard Rafale with the RBE2 AESA radar vs a Typhoon FGR.4 in UK service with the CAPTOR-M. Depends on altitude and speed. F-35 is more economical, the Eurofighters twin engine will need more and mor Typhoon has to make do with a less than fully optimised TAC-R pod as the RAPTOR pod fitted to Tornado GR.4 was not integrated when the latter was retired – in part because of centreline store size limitations on Typhoon due to the front landing gear leg placement. With heavy loads, however, Rafale performs significantly better than Typhoon across the almost the entire performance envelope, having been designed from the outset to incorporate heavy multirole loads. This site needs a small donation from you to continue. However, in terms of radar, the Rafale would still come out ahead due to its mature RBE2. The Eurofighter is also the front-runner to meet the Luftwaffe’s 85-aircraft requirement for a Tornado replacement. The UK’s much more ambitious (and now funded) ECRS2 promises a massive leap in AESA capability with areas of advantage even over the latest US AESAs, but is so far only likely to be integrated onto the 40 Tranche 3s, with the fate of the 67 Tranche 2s less certain in that regard. The German/Spanish Radar 1 order will, however, mean that there are a large number of AESA equipped Typhoons in service by the mid-2020s with all the Quadriga and Tornado replacement Typhoons to feature the capability. ... (Isis) fighters have been left to 30-year-old Tornado jets. However, the Hornets will need a new certification to wield … This article is out of date: there is an updated (Sept 2020) version of this article here. The Typhoon is not certified to carry the American-made nuclear bombs that Germany, as part of its strategic posture, is supposed to be able to carry on its jets. The lack of a helmet mounted sight for Rafale until the Qatari standard has meant that in practice Typhoon users may be able to get more out of IRIS-T or ASRAAM in a dynamic WVR engagement. In a complex battlespace with dense ground based as well as aerial threats, both Typhoon and Rafale are formidable assets but would rely on support from dedicated penetrating and stand-off assets to minimise risk and truly perform at their best. Highly experienced crews, full DAS and radar capabilities without export restrictions (and a nuclear missile capability). The Typhoon was designed originally as an air superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo that conducts the majority of the project through a joint holding company, Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH formed in 1986. The drawback is extremely high munitions cost. The integration of full Meteor capability and upgrades to the UK’s ESM capabilities within the DAS are also a big boost. Recommended donation £15. Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to do the same with the French Air Force (hint hint mes amis!). How frequently is Meteor actually carried in 2020?Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons regularly carry Meteor on live operational sorties with European users, although the Tranche 1s do not use the missile which is why the RAF purchased the latest AIM-120D for its remaining Tranche 1s. For such targets, Typhoon users would employ Paveway II/III/IV series weapons. The French Air Force’s latest F3R aircraft with the RBE2 and Meteor are, on balance, likely to be the most capable Rafales around for much the same reasons as the RAF’s Tranche 3 Typhoons are. Typhoon with the PIRATE system is significantly ahead of the legacy Rafale IRST. Pre-order your copy now right here. Finland will be an interesting result to watch, but I’m not sure either aircraft could be considered a favourite. The Typhoon was conceived from the start of the project as a collaborative venture by several European countries under the Eurofighter GmbH consortium. In practice, there is little to choose between them, I pity the enemy shot at by either. Defensive aids SPECTRA has a better reputation primarily because of Libya in 2011 (a result of French political ambition and risk tolerance, alongside technical capability). The German air force has settled on replacements for its aging Panavia Tornado fleet, agreeing to buy Eurofighter Typhoons and Boeing F/A-18E/F Hornets in both Super Hornet and Growler configurations. The Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) developed by Eurofighter would address these limitations and greatly improve the instantaneous turn rate and agility at all speeds with heavy loads, but so far no operator has bought it – suggesting they are broadly satisfied with the aircraft as is. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Both fighters are fairly expensive to operate compared to solutions such as Gripen or F-16 on a one-for-one basis, being large, complex, twin engined beasts. However, an RAF standard Tranche 3 Typhoon would likely come out ahead on BVR performance, interceptor missions (due to extreme rate of climb and performance), ESM, terminal countermeasures and low-collateral strike capabilities. Both Typhoon and Rafale can launch capable standoff cruise missiles in the shape of the Storm Shadow/SCALP and Taurus KEPD 350. The flip side is that both AMRAAM variants have advanced off-board guidance capabilities to allow passive engagements in cooperation with another aircraft in active mode. “That’s why they will keep flying the Tornados, despite the price tag and despite having asked about a Eurofighter nuclear certification in Washington,” Kamp predicted at the time. Typhoon users will have to wait for the UK-developed ECRS2 radar and DAS upgrade for a competitive or even (potentially) superior option. Which is doing better on the export market and why? Germany has cleared its Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile but since German politicians do not believe that Air Forces should be used to kill people, its capabilities remain untested in combat. As far as I’m aware the Rafale has so far only been cleared for Meteor carriage on the two side-fuselage hardpoints although I could be wrong on that. (RBE2 likely to still beat Radar 0 upon IOC due to more mature system and HMI). If it was a priority to up the Meteor carriage on Rafale to four, I expect that could be done at the cost of MICA numbers on the centre underwing station. Both Rafale F3R and P3E standard (Centurion upgraded) Typhoons present pilots with an intuitive combined situational awareness display which integrates data from multiple sensors. Typhoon comes with one or two TRDs mounted in a wingtip pod as standard, with specific version dependent on operator choices. Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the worlds most advanced new generation multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft available on the market. The UK’s Typhoons in particular are more closely integrated with the USAF air dominance community than (any) other fighter arm so have more practice in getting the most out of cooperative engagements with F-22s in realistic training scenarios. Germany’s decision appears to have been a surprise for F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which was not told by the ministry of the imminent announcement. It only takes a moment. Rafale is designed to excel at subsonic speeds and at lower altitudes. Energy management/ ability to regenerate energy. In terms of load carrying capacity, ECM, subsonic agility, low and medium altitude WVR performance and cost Rafale F3R would also likely still come out ahead of a Tranche 2 or 3 P3E standard Typhoon. Related to (l). However, Rafale can also use the RECO-NG wide area/standoff TAC-R pod to provide a modern, fully digital equivalent to RAPTOR. A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane. Air-to-groundRBE2 as a multifunction AESA radar gives far more air-to-ground functionality than CAPTOR-M. (Radar 0 is optimised for air-to-air and is unlikely to challenge RBE2 in this arena). Geographically surrounded on four sides by the Eurofighter nations, the frivolous observer may liken the French Rafale to Asterix and his indomitable… There’s a reason (beyond the undoubted inefficiencies and concurrency) why the US have had to put nearly half a trillion dollars into the F-35 programme to date, mostly aimed at getting the nightmarishly ambitious and complex software architecture to work. Unless he has access to the official EM charts for both, he is simply guessing. Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. In terms of the design philosophy effects on the final aircraft, the Rafale has a greater emphasis on load carrying and exceptional handling even at very low speeds whilst the Typhoon as a design is more focused on maximum performance at altitude, and agility at transonic and supersonic speeds. However, those will not be in service for several years so are not included here. It’s worth noting that despite complaints about the cost of keeping the aging Tornados flying, keeping around a certain number of them has always been under consideration — a painful, but not impossible, proposition among some defense experts. JAS 39 Gripen vs Eurofighter TyphoonComments of readers (Feel free to leave a reply on bottom)1. They’re trying to do something much more ambitious; although in many scenarios the output is functionally similar. Eurofighter Typhoon procurement is the planned selection and purchase of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter by various countries.. Valerie Insinna in Washington contributed to this report. As revolver cannons, both reach their maximum fire rate almost immediately. However, the decision leaves open the question of certification for nuclear weapons. However, the biggest win in recent years is for Typhoon from Germany for both the Quadriga-standard replacement order for the Tranche 1s and also 90 aircraft to replace Germany’s Tornado fleet in the conventional strike role. At the lower end, the Rafale can also carry and deliver the US made Paveway II and III series and like Typhoon is cleared to carry but does not currently use a range of other US munitions. Rafale improved since your 2015 assessment? I guess it would take a lot of money to upgrade them to the latest version? I’m a bit surprised the RECO-NG pod was not mentioned in the Recce-Equipment section. Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard–delta wing, multirole fighter. “If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”.