Technology

Eurofighter Typhoon Gets £135m Upgrade

Typhoon Jet being worked on, multi-million pound investment in Typhoon advances combat air capability 12042021 CREDIT BAE Systems

BAE Systems has been awarded a new £135m contract to drive forward the next phase of capability enhancements for the Typhoon jets.

The contract is part of ongoing efforts by the Eurofighter consortium and the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany to continue developing the Typhoon fighter's technology-led capability.

The investment will improve weapons capability, increasing the variety of precision-guided munitions, and further enhance Typhoon's defensive systems and datalinks, improving high-speed secure sharing of data.

Current improvements being made to the jet include the design of new large touchscreen cockpit displays, enabling pilots to easily assess and respond to the data from the aircraft's sensors.

Watch: IS has 'nowhere to hide' as RAF Typhoons strike fighters in Iraq.

Richard Hamilton, Typhoon Programme Director Europe at BAE Systems Air, said the contract was a "significant milestone" for the aircraft.

"This contract marks another significant milestone in the continued development of Typhoon's capability as we apply our breadth of expertise to further advance its combat air capability, ensuring it has the technologies required for the future battlespace."

He said the contract will "sustain 100 highly-skilled engineering roles" in the North West and is "just one example of a number of technology-led innovations being developed on Typhoon".

Mr Hamilton added that the contract would help to keep "the UK skill base at the forefront of the global combat air sector" and "sustainable skills required to deliver the next generation future combat air system".

The contract was awarded to BAE Systems by Eurofighter, the group that represents the core nations' industrial partners, Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.

In May, a Typhoon painted in a full Union Flag colour scheme was unveiled at RAF Coningsby.

Eurofighter Typhoons conducted night flying at RAF Coningsby in June, as part of the aircrew's training to be combat-ready for missions like Operation Shader.

Cover image: BAE Systems.