There is a definite feeling that the Typhoon is coming of age. A raft of coherent upgrade projects are at last paying dividends both for the core operator nations and for the European partner companies on the export stage.
OPINION: DEBUNKING THE TRANCHE 1 MYTH
Project ‘Gordian’, or CP193, was the RAF’s thrust to bring a swing-role capability to its Tranche 1 aircraft, adding an ‘austere’ integration of the Litening targeting pod that enabled the aircraft to self-designate its own Enhanced Paveway II (EPW2) laser/ GPS-guided bombs.
This multi-role capability was declared to great acclaim with an operational employment date of July 1, 2008. It provided the Typhoon with a useful precision strike capability that was added to the UK’s Block 5-standard jets. The last two years have seen a dramatic change in fortunes for the Tranche 1s.
The RAF had originally planned to retire them as an economy measure; indeed, 16 two-seaters are to be reduced to spares by the end of 2018, although there are also reports that another nation has shown interest in purchasing these jets.
Although the Typhoon has a 6,000-flyinghour life, which may be extended, and although the Tranche 1 aircraft only entered full operational serv…
