Wed, Nov 19, 2008
Refueling Tests, Paveway IV Trials Now Underway
The international test fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons recently
surpassed the 6,000 flight hour mark, according to the European
consortium that produces the advanced fighter.
With variants of the aircraft already in active service,
Eurofighter partner companies Alenia Finmeccanica, BAE Systems,
EADS CASA and EADS Deutschland have focused testing efforts on
enhancing the fighter's design.
Recent highlights included the completion of
in-flight refueling trials by the Italian Air
Force and Alenia Aeronautica with KC-130J Hercules tankers... and
the beginning of similar trials by the German Air Force, the German
Operational Test Centre Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61 and EADS
using the Airbus A310 Multi-Role Tanker Transport.
Alenia also recently concluded the first phase of flight tests
for Phase 1 Enhancements with the air-to-surface Paveway IV weapon
in various configuration for flutter trials. Further trials will
follow on other initial production aircraft at BAE Systems and EADS
CASA with Paveway IV and the 1000lb dual mode precision guided
EGBU-16 bomb.
The test data gained in these trials will allow the air vehicle
aspects of the Phase 1 Enhance,ent capability development to be
progressed, according to the consortium.
The current test fleet consists of six Instrumented Production
Aircraft plus one Instrumented Series Production Aircraft
(ISPA1).
Eurofighter says 707 aircraft have been ordered by six nations
-- Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria and the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.
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