No es un Raptor, Pero Hará el Trabajo

The NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) has signed a contract for the acquisition of 16 single-seat and 4 twin-seat Eurofighter jets.

The order, known as the Halcon program, comprises the delivery of the twenty, E-Scan (Electronically Scanned), radar equipped fighter aircraft which will replace the F-18 fleet operated by the Spanish Air Force on the Canary Islands. The contract will see the Spanish Eurofighter fleet grow to 90 aircraft.

The new Eurofighters will enhance the Spanish Air Force fighter fleet and position it among NATO and EU nations operating the most modern fighter jet developed in Europe

The acquisition, valued at € 2.043-billion, was approved by Spain’s Council of Ministers on 14 December 2021 and includes the aircraft, engines, a simulator and the necessary support services.

The Spanish Eurofighter is assembled, tested and delivered at the Airbus Getafe site (in Spain) and provides more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in Spain alone.

Airbus has also been working at Getafe in coordination with the Armament and Experimental Logistics Centre (CLAEX) of the Spanish Air Force to make various modifications such as the implementation of the new CM02+ software package for the Tranche 1 Eurofighters. A major tactical improvement offered by this software is a new capacity for automatic targeting of air-to-surface weapons following integration of a targeting pod. Further air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities have also been introduced, along with improvements to the aircraft’s communications systems.

Eurofighter is Europe’s largest defense program, involving the four core nations of the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany and Italy. In addition to its technological capabilities, it secures more than 100,000 jobs in Europe. To date, the Eurofighter program has logged 681 aircraft orders to 9 nations around the globe.

FMI: https://www.eurofighter.com