Eurofighter has rolled out the Italian Air Force’s first Tranche 3A Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft from the Turin-Caselle Plant in Italy.
Manufactured by Eurofighter partner companies and assembled by Alenia Aermacchi, the Italian single seat aircraft is ready for engine tests at the plant, and is scheduled to be delivered within the first half of 2014.
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The Tranche 3 standard includes a number of changes that effectively improves the aircraft’s performance, and also allow for future upgrades, making Typhoon more attractive to current and potential export customers.
Alenia Aermacchi Eurofighter programme manager Alessandra Saroglia said the aircraft includes several changes compared to previous production tranches, which increase its operational capability and a series of provisions allows it to take on additional capability in the future.
"For example, the Tranche 3 aircraft has been built with power, cooling and electronics to allow for the fitting of the new E-Scan radar," Saroglia said.
Eurofighter chief executive officer Alberto Gutierrez said the Eurofighter programme continues to build momentum while serving the customers’ air forces.
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By GlobalData"Our Tranche 3 aircraft will be the most potent yet offering unmatched flexibility at a time when every asset has to prove that it can earn its place day in and day out," Gutierrez said.
The Italian Air Force is set to receive 21 of the total 112 Typhoons ordered by the four European partner nations, including Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, under the Tranche 3A contract signed in 2009.
Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter manufactured by a consortium of EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE for deployment during air operations, including air policing, peace support and high-intensity conflict missions worldwide.
Eurofighter has to date handed over more than 400 Typhoons to six nations, including Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, since entry into service of the first aircraft in 2003.
Image: Italian Air Force’s first Tranche 3A Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft at the Turin-Caselle Plant in Italy. Photo: Eurofighter Typhoon.
