Eurofighter Typhoon Programme overview
- Multirole combat aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force
- RAF fleet: 107 Typhoons (Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft)
- Manufacturers: BAE Systems (UK), Airbus Defence and Space (Germany/Spain), Leonardo (Italy)
- UK Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft assembled at BAE Systems Warton, Lancashire
- Entering service: first RAF Typhoons delivered 2003; the fleet is expected to serve into the 2040s
- To be replaced by GCAP/Tempest from approximately 2035 onwards
Specifications
- Length: 15.96 metres
- Wingspan: 10.95 metres
- Maximum speed: Mach 2 (approximately 2,495 km/h)
- Combat radius: approximately 1,390 km
- Service ceiling: 55,000 feet
- Engines: two Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines, each producing 90kN thrust with afterburner
- Crew: one (single-seat) or two (twin-seat trainer variant)
Armament
- 27mm Mauser BK-27 cannon
- MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
- MBDA ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missile
- MBDA Brimstone air-to-ground missile
- Paveway IV precision-guided bomb
- Storm Shadow cruise missile (long-range strike)
- Capability to carry nuclear weapons under NATO arrangements
- Maximum weapons load: approximately 7,500kg across 13 hardpoints
Current upgrade programme (2026)
The June 2026 Defence Investment Plan confirmed the most ambitious Eurofighter Typhoon upgrade in the programme’s history:
- Full fleet upgrade: all 107 Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft upgraded, up from 40 previously planned, at a total cost of approximately £5.4 billion
- ECRS Mk2 radar: 40 additional aircraft to receive the European Common Radar System Mk2 – an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that delivers significant improvements in air-to-air and air-to-ground performance and electronic warfare capability
- Long Term Evolution (LTE): additional £1.1 billion for software, systems, and defensive aids upgrades sustaining the fleet’s capability well into the 2040s
- Tranche 1 retirement: 26 Tranche 1 aircraft have been retired; four remain at Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falkland Islands for air defence
Export success
The Eurofighter Typhoon’s export record has accelerated in the period of rising global defence budgets. Türkiye signed a £4 billion contract for 20 aircraft in October 2025 – the UK’s largest ever fighter export deal. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Spain also operate Typhoon, with the UK sustaining the broadest export base of any current European fighter programme. Export production at Warton provides industrial continuity and helps sustain the skilled workforce needed for GCAP development.
Combat record
The Typhoon has been used operationally by the RAF in Libya (2011), Iraq (2014–), Syria, and in support of operations against Houthi forces in Yemen (Operation Shader and Operation Prosperity Guardian). Its multirole capability – genuine air superiority combined with precision ground attack – has made it effective across a wide range of operational contexts.
Relationship to GCAP
The Typhoon is the platform GCAP/Tempest is designed to replace. Its continued upgrade through the 2040s provides the RAF with a credible capability bridge while GCAP reaches operational status. The industrial expertise accumulated in the Typhoon programme – at BAE, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, and MBDA – directly feeds into GCAP development.
Image: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2026
