Eurofighter has responded to demand from potential customers to add an anti-ship missile capability to the multi-role Typhoon, by conducting a fit test of a configuration with six of the weapons.
An image released by the Eurofighter consortium during the Dubai air show shows an Italian example of the twin-engined combat aircraft loaded with six MBDA Marte ER missiles.
Eurofighter
Weighing 260kg (572lb), the weapons would be carried and fired with the Typhoon maintaining a subsonic flight envelope, with the fighter also capable of carrying air-to-air missiles at the same time.
Eurofighter partner company BAE Systems has previously conducted sub-scale windtunnel tests on the Typhoon carrying three Boeing AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Other potential candidate weapons could include the RBS 15 weapon produced by Saab.
More than 450 Eurofighters have been delivered so far to the air forces of partner nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, plus export operators Austria and Saudi Arabia. The type is also on order for Oman, and was recently selected for a 28-aircraft deal yet to be finalised with Kuwait.
Source: Flight Daily News
