![]() ![]() Since the end of the Cold War, however, the Tornado forces has suffered from chronic underfunding. Designed to penetrate enemy defenses by going in low and fast, the Tornado was one of the last swing-wing fighter jets. At the same time, Germany reportedly halved annual flying hours for aircrews, fearing that the fuselage would become unstable.Īnother fighter developed by a European defense consortium, the Tornado was developed by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. As of October 2014, only 42 of 109 Eurofighters were in flying condition, the rest grounded by lack of spare parts. Germany was originally buying 180 Eurofighters, but a canceled purchase in 2014 means only 143 fighters will be acquired. Eurofighter’s air to ground capability is growing, and the Luftwaffe’s fighters have the ability to carry unguided bombs, laser-guided bombs, and Taurus cruise missiles. A combination of excellent maneuverability, powerful engines, AESA radar, infra-red search and track sensor and AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles make Eurofighter a tough opponent in the air. The Eurofighter is likely the best non-fifth-generation fighter in existence. Budget cuts mean that the Luftwaffe will probably accept its last fighter sooner than anyone thought. The first flight of what would become the Eurofighter Typhoon was in 1994, and Germany accepted its first Eurofighter in 2003. In the 1980s, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain teamed up to begin the development of the Future European Fighter Aircraft, or FEFA. ![]()
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