Eurofighter Typhoon EF-2000 - Sales

The Eurofighter consortium tried to sell Typhoons to Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Eastern European countries interested in "nearly new" aircraft include the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia and Romania [which might buy as many as 48]. The Netherlands and Norway had signed up as partners on the F-35 JSF and Australia was expected to do so.

Unlike the F-35, the Typhoon is not a "stealth" aircraft, but the Eurofighter's radar cross-section is significantly below the F-16. One disadvantage in the Typhoon's $65-$136 million price. It is more expensive than the $30-$75 million F-16, while the F-35 was expected to cost on average about $180 million.

By late 2015, since entry into service of the first Eurofighter Typhoon at the end of 2003, 444 aircraft have been delivered to six nations: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia. In December 2012, Oman became the seventh customer and ordered a total of twelve aircraft. Eurofighter Typhoon is currently in service at 22 operational units and up to now, the whole fleet has completed more than 300,000 flying hours worldwide.

By July 2015 the operability of Eurofighter aircraft in airstrikes against Yemeni and Islamic State insurgents appeared to be giving BAE Systems increasing confidence that it will bank more orders for the warplanes by the end of the year.

In August 2015 the UK Government was to take a fresh look at how to get behind the Eurofighter Typhoon and help BAE Systems increase sales across the world. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon revealed the move during a visit to BAE Systems’ Lancashire sites to mark the completion of the 200th rear fuselage for the F-35 Lightning II program.

There were plans to raise money for Tranche 3B by selling the older, first-generation aircraft initially delivered to the German air force to generate several hundred million Euros. But those jets are outdated by European standards, and NATO partners are only marginally interested.

The four-nation Eurofighter program partner companies Airbus Defence & Space, Alenia Aermacchi and BAE Systems pushed to secure fresh export deals on the back of a range of capability enhancements now starting to approach operational readiness. Flight tests of a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter sporting several aerodynamic modifications had greatly improved the aircraft's agility and weapons-carrying capabilities.

On 22 September 2015 Kuwait became the newest member of the Eurofighter Typhoon community, signing an MoU for 28 of the fighters, worth up to €8bn. The Kuwait deal ended a three-year order drought and possibly heralding agreements with other Middle East states. This new international success followed an order from the Sultanate of Oman for 12 aircraft in December 2012 and it is a further evidence of growing interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon across the globe and in the Gulf Region in particular with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman who have already ordered this combat aircraft.

With Kuwait, the Eurofighter Typhoon confirmed its role as Europe’s largest military collaborative program with a total of 599 aircraft committed. It provides leading-edge technologies and strengthens Europe’s defence industry in international competition. More than 100,000 jobs in 400 supplier companies are involved in this four-nation programme and deliver significant contributions.

Eurofighter delivered a total of 47 Typhoons over the 12-month period ending in May 2016. Some 478 Eurofighters had been delivered to date, out of combined firm orders for 599. The program backlog stood at 106 aircrft for Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the UK. Based on current commitments, final assembly lines in Germany and Spain had work until the end of 2018, while those in Italy and the UK – which respectively led sales campaigns in Kuwait and Oman – would run on beyond this date.