The Eurofighter Typhoon’s evolution into a multirole strike aircraft has cleared a significant hurdle, with the type’s successful first release of precision-guided air-to-surface weapons early this month.
Conducted from the Spanish air force’s Moron air base by EADS Casa test pilots using an instrumented production aircraft, the 4-5 May tests involved releasing two 450kg (1,000lb) GBU-16 laser-guided bombs (LGB). Additional work involving a further four weapon drops will be completed by July, says EADS. The Typhoon will also undergo clearance activities in Spain this year to deploy 900kg GBU-10 LGBs.
The UK Royal Air Force will become the first Typhoon user to field air-to-surface weapons with the type following deliveries of its first Tranche 1 Block 5 production aircraft from early next year.