The Eurofighter countries have signed a 9.1 billion Euro contract to build 112 Typhoon fighters under the Tranche 3A program, with a goal to get the second part of the last phase of the program on contract by the end of 2011.

However, Quentin Davies, the U.K. minister for defense equipment and support, signaled London may not participate in Tranche 3B. Industry officials say they are operating on the assumption the 620 umbrella commitment from the U.K., Germany, Italy and Spain still holds, and that anything else is for the governments to work out among themselves.

The first Tranche 3A aircraft is to be delivered in early 2013. The first Tranche 3B aircraft would arrive in 2016 and production would cease in 2017, although that timeline is likely to be extended.

The 9.1 billion Euros includes 1.4 for the engines, as well as a large funds to address block obsolescence, says Enzo Casolini, CEO of Eurofighter. Aside from those issues, the Tranche 3A standard is identical to the Tranche 2 aircraft.

The U.K. would get 40 Tranche 3A aircraft, but says 24 of those cover fighters it bought under the Tranche 2 contract and diverted to Saudi Arabia to jump start deliveries on that country’s buy of 72 units -- the first two of those aircraft are now delivered. Germany would get 31 Tranche 3A aircraft, Italy 21 and Spain 20.

In parallel with the production deal, industry and governments are in talks about upgrades to the fighter. Casolini signals progress should be forthcoming before the end of the year. He notes that support to integrate the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual range air-to-air missile is growing. Moreover, a study to fit an active electronically scanned array radar on the fighter is due to be completed this year. That will help define a suitable upgrade roadmap. Although Casolini says “the technology is mature,” he suggests that fielding such a radar before 2013 would be difficult.

Photo: Eurofighter