BAE Systems has delivered the weapons systems support rig (WSSR) to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) for the Typhoon availability service (TAS).

The WSSR delivered at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, is the size of two tennis courts and includes 33 benches and 24 pieces of rig support equipment.

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The equipment has undergone an extensive period of installation, testing and qualification, and will now be used to validate mission data and evaluate any avionic issues for the RAF Typhoon fleet.

The rig will help RAF reduce test flights and unnecessary removal and testing of equipment.

Flight Lieutenant Shaun Bates said undertaking flight trials was not always the most cost-effective way of proving the effectiveness of aircraft software and mission data.

“The WSSR de-risks these trials and gives the Typhoon force confidence that the improvements will function as designed,” he said.

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