ANALYSIS: RAF Typhoons impress on Romanian air policing duty

[Lyneham Lad]

On Flight Global:-

Snip -

Through a shimmering heat haze, the pilots of two sleek combat aircraft run to their jets, armed and ready beneath makeshift sun shelters on a Romanian base near the Black Sea coast. These are not the crews of the home nation's Aerostar-adapted MiG-21 Lancer interceptors, however, but of Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4s, deployed to help safeguard NATO territory.

Click the link for the full (and interesting) article.

Forgive my ignorance but are Tranche 1 a/c (as mentioned in the article) also FGR4s?

[Mr. Vice]

All single seat Typhoons in service with the RAF are FGR4 variants. Despite a range of different standards e.g Tranche 1/2.

The F(ighter) G(round attack) and R(econnaissance)- FGR4 comes from the increased capability the jet has received as it has been upgraded. The original being the F2 carrying the F(ighter) designation for it only possesed an Air to Air capability at that time.

Cheers,

Mr Vice.

[glad rag]

Reconnaissance.

In what way? Top Gun style?

[TEEEJ]

Originally Posted by glad rag

Reconnaissance.

In what way? Top Gun style?

Litening III Advanced Targeting/Recce Pod

The UK Litening III is an innovative airborne, infra-red targeting, navigation & reconnaissance pod for fighter aircraft, delivering high degrees of accuracy and reliability. The UK Litening III is unique in that it has the capability for still imagery reconnaissance missions as well as advanced targeting capabilities. These capabilities coupled with Ultra's Video Data Link have provided a quantum leap in ISTAR capability to the Royal Air Force.

http://www.ultra-cis.com/resourses/L...%20secured.pdf

https://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/litening-3.cfm

[recceguy]

Ah, if only it had been available a couple of years ago, when the Indian Air Force was trying to get new fighters....

Sad indeed.

[hoodie]

Originally Posted by recceguy

Ah, if only it had been available a couple of years ago

Litening III was integrated onto Typhoon in 2008.

[Rhino power]

Originally Posted by recceguy

Ah, if only it had been available a couple of years ago, when the Indian Air Force was trying to get new fighters...

It was available 'a couple of years ago...', the RAF's Typhoons first used it operationally over Libya in 2011, and the Tornado GR.4 before that...

-RP

[recceguy]

So you mean they got no excuse of failing the Indian contract, which eventually went to the French Rafale ?

[Rhino power]

Originally Posted by recceguy

So you mean they got no excuse of failing the Indian contract, which eventually went to the French Rafale ?

Yawn...

-RP