{"id":55310,"date":"2024-03-27T21:58:28","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T20:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=55310"},"modified":"2026-03-27T01:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T00:29:08","slug":"the-history-of-the-eurofighter-typhoon-and-the-numbers-that-summarize-its-current-situation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2024\/03\/27\/the-history-of-the-eurofighter-typhoon-and-the-numbers-that-summarize-its-current-situation\/","title":{"rendered":"The history of the Eurofighter Typhoon and the numbers that summarize its current situation"},"content":{"rendered":"

On March 27, 1994, the first Eurofighter Typhoon, DA1, made its first takeoff at the MBB facility in Manching, Germany.<\/p>\n

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The development of this advanced fighter aircraft was neither easy nor quick. The Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) program for its development was presented in 1982<\/strong>, with the participation of the three countries that had already participated in the development of the first European combat aircraft, the Panavia Tornado: Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Spain joined the program in 1985 and the ACA was renamed European Fighter Aircraft (EFA)<\/strong>. The aeronautical companies that participated in its development British Aerospace (United Kingdom, 37%), DASA (Germany, 29%), Aeritalia (Italy, 19.5%) and CASA (Spain, 14%)<\/strong> .<\/p>\n

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Two Spanish Eurofighters over Estonia in September 2023 (Photo: Estado Mayor de la Defensa).<\/div>\n

The plane ended up being called Eurofighter Typhoon<\/strong>, and after that first flight in 1994, it took nine years to become active:<\/strong> the first production aircraft was received by the German Luftwaffe on April 8, 2003<\/a>. To give us an idea, four years passed from the first flight of the F-15 and F-16 until their entry into service, and five years in the case of the F\/A-18. The F-35 also took nine years to enter service from its first flight<\/strong> (the first F-35s, of the F-35B variant, were received by the Marines in 2015).<\/p>\n

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An ornately decorated German Eurofighter during a visit to Israel in April 2023 (Photo: Bundeswehr\/Christian Timmig).<\/div>\n

With 680 aircraft delivered or ordered<\/a>, the Eurofighter has not been a sales success<\/strong>if we compare them with aircraft such as the F-16 (more than 4,600 units), the F-15 (about 1,200), the F\/A-18 (more than 2,000, including the Super Hornet) and even the F-35<\/strong> (Lockheed has already built more than 1,000<\/a>). Three decades later, the European aircraft is still far from reaching even the 977 units sold of the Panavia Tornado. The Eurofighter was clearly harmed by the delay in its development<\/strong>, reaching the market when there were only three years left before the appearance of the F-35, but it ended up being an excellent aircraft with great maneuverability and an outstanding push<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A Eurofighter and a Polish MiG-29 during a Baltic Air Policing mission (Photo: Hesja).<\/div>\n

Today, the Eurofighter is operated by nine air forces:<\/strong> those of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The Eurofighter fleets of these nine countries are as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n