Germany Approves €4.4 Billion Deal for Eurofighter Typhoon Jets
The German budget committee has given its approval for the longstanding procurement of advanced Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, authorizing a €3.75 billion ($4.36 billion) acquisition for 20 additional Tranche 5 standard aircraft.
According to a statement from the German Ministry of Defense (MoD), these combat jets will be equipped with E-scan radars, with deliveries scheduled between 2031 and 2034. The MoD emphasized, “The Eurofighter is the mainstay of the German combat aircraft fleet. The procurement of the Tranche 5 aircraft serves to gradually transfer the capabilities of the aging Tornado in Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance (ECR) into a future-proof platform, ensuring Germany’s continued fulfillment of NATO commitments.”
As previously reported, Berlin initially revealed plans to place this newly approved Eurofighter Tranche 5 order in June. This procurement complements a separate contract for 38 units already under agreement with Airbus, as part of the Project Quadriga acquisition program. The Eurofighter consortium consists of four member nations: Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
This latest Typhoon order is the most significant among seven weapon system acquisitions endorsed by the budget committee, which also includes approximately €412 million for Eurofighter simulators to enhance pilot training. Additionally, the committee approved a project valued at roughly €1.13 billion to upgrade the electronic warfare capabilities of Germany’s Typhoon fleet, focusing specifically on “suppression of ground-based air defense” systems.
The MoD further noted, “The Eurofighter is to be optimized with the [Saab-produced] AREXIS self-protection system, appropriate air-to-ground guided missiles, and enhanced electronic warfare capabilities.” Arexis was initially selected by Berlin in 2023 to meet an electronic attack requirement and is the default configuration for Swedish Air Force Gripen E/F jets, according to Mikael Corp, sales director of fighter electronic warfare at Saab. Corp also highlighted that deliveries of the EW sensor to Airbus, in preparation for integration onto German Typhoons, have already commenced.
Additionally, the budget committee authorized contracts for armor-piercing ammunition, medium-range boats for naval special forces, and mine-hunting sonar systems for Class 332 vessels.