Eurofighter Typhoon Joins New Danish Fighter Competition

[ImageGear]

Denmark: Second JSF Partner Country Begins New Fighter Evaluation

Remarkable is the confirmation that the Eurofighter Typhoon has been invited to re-enter the bidding process, after leaving it in 2007. Eurofighter withdrew in December 2007 from the Danish and Norwegian competitions, as it believed that both “competitions” were skewed in favour of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Denmark reopens fighter-competition (http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/143457/after-canada%2C-denmark-reopens-fighter-competition.html)

How long before we see more assessing their options?

Imagegear

[Heathrow Harry]

Lots I expect but I suspect the Gripen will win this one

[Lowe Flieger]

Speculation on my part, but there are several countries, originally set on F35, which might usefully combine to source a number of capable 4th gen jets on a collaborative basis. Denmark, Canada, Netherlands, (Belgium), Norway, Turkey spring to mind although I accept some are more likely candidates than others. It's not a drop kick as it requires a reasonable commonality of requirements and all the usual compromises and frustrations that collaboration brings. But in these cash-strapped times, a known quantity on price, performance and IOC has a lot going for it if your military policy is not hell-bent on being first over the top against a very sophisticated enemy. If you are much more likely to be part of a coalition, then you leave that stuff to the bigger boys.

Once you've done that, well there's nothing to stop you looking at F35 Mark II or III, UAV's - or whatever, once capabilities and prices have stabilised or evolved, say 2030 and beyond.

Maybe some of the competing manufacturers - Boeing, Saab or EADS could take the initiative and offer to be the focal point for grouping like requirements from different countries together for common savings? When times are difficult as these, somebody has to take the initiative and do something different.

LF

[kbrockman]

Hoping for a joint venture and a split buy.
EF + Gripen NG wil do just fine thx.

Plenty of life left in the EF anyway, planning to at least 2045.
Typhoon - the best is yet to come | Defence | The Royal Aeronautical Society (http://media.aerosociety.com/aerospace-insight/2013/03/08/typhoon-the-best-is-yet-to-come/7851/)

[JSFfan]

the RAF doesn't think so
RAF - Typhoon FGR4 (http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/typhooneurofighter.cfm)
Tranche 1 aircraft fleet due to retire over the period 2015-18, this will leave 107 Typhoon aircraft in RAF service until 2030.

[Biggus]

The RAF doesn't think what?

That's there's life left in Tranche 1 a/c?

What is more likely to be the case is that, given the reduction in UK military spending as part of the defence review, the RAF doesn't think (indeed knows) that it will get any money to upgrade Tranche 1 a/c to the latest standard.

How many Typhoon Sqns were planned when the orders were initially conceived back in the 80s/90s? How many are we going to have in these cash strapped days of government cutbacks?

You might well find the same thing occurring with early delivery F-35's in a few years time! One of the penalties of running production and development in parallel!!

[Rhino power]

Wasn't the idea to bin the Tranche 1 aircraft, er, binned? Sure there was some such utterings to that effect, Jackonicko might be able to clear that one up...

-RP

[peter we]

Aren't the Tranche 1 already started to be upgraded to Drop 2?

Typhoon Tranche 1 Aircraft Upgrade | Think Defence (http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2013/03/typhoon-tranche-1-aircraft-upgrade/)

Doesn't sound like its going out of service soon.