Austria Picks Eurofighter ; Plans To Buy 24 (July 3)
VIENNA---The decision to procurement a successor for the Draken interceptor was taken today in favor of the Eurofighter Typhoon made by the EADS consortium.
"The Eurofighter is the most modern airplane, and will remain in service with the Federal army for the next 30 years," said Secretary of Defense Herbert Scheibner in announcing the selection.
The selection was the result of detailed analysis of the technical, tactical, operational, logistic and commercial conditions by a 33-member expert commission appointed by the Ministry of Defense. During more than 6,600 working hours, these experts examined more than 5,000 pages of documents, weighing more than 80 kg, submitted by the competitors.
The first production aircraft are to be delivered to the Austrian air force in 2005.
During a transition period, the Ministry of Defense plans to co-operate with a "reference Air Force," which will provide training and support. Up to six Typhoon aircraft are to be made available from the first quarter of 2003 in order to ensure optimal preparation on logistics, technology and flight operations.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a fourth-generation interceptor with two engines providing maximum thrust of 180 Kilo Newton (or. 74,500 HP) with afterburner. This substantial engine power allows outstanding flight characteristics and a maximum speed of Mach 2.0 (or 2120 km/h).
It also features quadruple redundant "fly by wire" controls and most modern navigation systems to limit pilot workload and provide the highest possible in-flight security.
The Typhoon has a length of approximately 16 meters and a span of almost 11 meters, and is a high-tech aircraft which can be controlled by voice commands. The Eurofighter is, at this time, the most modern combat aircraft on the international market.
With the decision for the Eurofighter Typhoon, Austria will participate in a large-scale European project.
Development of the Eurofighter was initially undertaken by Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain in 1983. The first prototype completed its maiden flight 1986.
The program's prime contractor is Eurofighters GmbH, headquartered Hallbergmoos, Germany. This company is owned by national companies from the countries taking part in the project: Alenia Aerospazio from Italy with 21 per cent, BAE Systems (Great Britain) with 33 per cent and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company (EADS), through its subsidiaries in Spain and Germany, with 46 per cent.
The four partners signed a basic agreement to produce over 620 Typhoons. Britain will be the largest buyer, and plans to buy 232, followed by Germany with 180, Italy with 121 and Spain with 87. The first production aircraft are to be delivered in the autumn.
The Saab J-35OE Draken (currently operated by the Austrian Air Force) was procured 1985 from Sweden. It was initially planned that the Draken would provide initial experience with modern jet aircraft, and aircrew training on fast jets, and that it would remain in service about a decade before being replaced in the mid-1990s.
Several attempts to procure more advanced combat aircraft were however postponed for political reasons.
The new Federal Government made procurement of a new air-defense aircraft a priority. The Draken interceptors have attained the end of their operational lives -- they are more than 30 years old -- and can be kept in flying condition only thanks to intensive maintenance and to a reduction in flight hours.
The Draken fleet must be retired starting in 2003. Austria is currently the only country that still operates the aircraft.
-ends- Austria Picks Eurofighter ; Plans To Buy 24 (July 3)
