Eurofighter Consortium Expecting 69 Fighter Orders from Germany, Italy and Spain

The Eurofighter consortium is expecting to receive orders for Typhoon combat aircraft from the armed forces of Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Speaking at an aviation media briefing at the Farnborough International Airshow on Wednesday, Eurofighter CEO Giancarlo Mezzanatto said there was positive news on orders. He stated that the program is expected to progress with negotiations for 25 aircraft for Spain's Halcon 2, Germany's announcement to buy 20 more by 2025, and Italy's plan to replace 24 Tranche 1 models.

The Eurofighter Typhoon, known for its twin-engine, canard-delta wing design, and multirole capabilities, is jointly manufactured by a consortium comprising Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.

Giancarlo said: "We are currently negotiating 25 aircraft for Spain's Halcon 2, Germany has announced the will to buy 20 additional aircraft by the first half of 2025, and Italy will buy 24 aircraft to replace Tranche 1. Last year we predicted about 100-200 additional orders for Eurofighter in the following two years. I am happy to say that these predictions are confirmed."

He also confirmed that Eurofighter has ‘realistic opportunities’ in the export market before mid-2025.

Last year, Spain officially launched its anticipated Halcon II follow-on buy of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft valued €4.5 billion ($4.9 billion). Published by the Council of Ministers on 12 September, the documents state that 25 additional Eurofighters (designated C.16 in national service) will be acquired to replace the Boeing EF-18 Hornet (C.15M) aircraft that the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire Español: EdAE) is decommissioning from 2030.

Meanwhile, Germany placed an order for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets at the ILA Berlin-2024 exhibition. It has also recently acquired Brimstone 3 precision strike missiles for the Bundeswehr’s Eurofighter combat aircraft.

As per reports citing a document from the country’s defense ministry earlier this month, Italy plans to spend €7.5 billion ($8.1 billion) over the next 11 years on 24 new Eurofighter jets. The report added that funding was already in place for €690 million, while the remaining €6.8 billion would be financed through future arrangements to be determined.

The aircraft will replace 26 aircraft that Italy is planning to substitute from 2028, and the contract will provide technical support for the jets and staff training.

As of October 2023, the Eurofighter consortium had 83 aircraft on order, with 597 already delivered to partner nations and export customers. Ongoing efforts to secure new orders include negotiations with potential buyers such as Spain and Poland. However, Saudi Arabia's interest remains hindered by Germany's arms export ban.

Future developments for the Eurofighter Typhoon prioritize enhanced capabilities, with discussions ongoing regarding potential sales to Turkey, which has expressed interest in acquiring 40 Typhoon jets.

Click here to watch our video on new technologies being unveiled at Farnborough International Airshow (FIA 2024).