There’s a reason (beyond the undoubted inefficiencies and concurrency) why the US have had to put nearly half a trillion dollars into the F-35 programme to date, mostly aimed at getting the nightmarishly ambitious and complex software architecture to work. According to all the Rafale pilots I have spoken to, the Rafale’s F3R standard HMI is superb from an operator’s point of view in multirole scenarios, especially in terms of displaying threat information. The Italian Air Force has recently begun training its first Eurofighter and Tornado pilots on the Alenia Aermacchi T-346A at Lecce airbase, in southeastern Italy. The BK27 has slightly better muzzle velocity and ballistic properties whilst the GIAT has slightly better destructive effect due to its larger shell. (Radar 0 will out-range both against airborne targets). In 2015, Research Fellow at the RUSI Think-tank Justin Bronk, compared Europe’s two middle-weight fighter aircraft, the Typhoon and Rafale,  The relatively subtle differences between these two superbly capable aircraft have inspired a great deal of heated debate, often poisoned by pride and nationalism. For export operators, things are much more dependent on fleet size and support contract structures than the differences between each aircraft type. “If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The French Air Force’s latest F3R aircraft with the RBE2 and Meteor are, on balance, likely to be the most capable Rafales around for much the same reasons as the RAF’s Tranche 3 Typhoons are. “There does not have to be a nuclear Tornado replacement,” Karl-Heinz Kamp, president of the government think tank Federal Academy for Security Policy, told Defense News in August. The leaked Swiss evaluation rated Rafale superior in almost every category- would this still be the case?The Swiss competition was horrendously mismanaged by the Eurofighter consortium with a buggy Tranche 1 jet sent to compete with the best that Saab and Dassault could bring to the table. The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). As revolver cannons, both reach their maximum fire rate almost immediately. A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane. Noun Any disturbed state of the atmosphere, especially as affecting the earth's surface, and strongly implying destructive or unpleasant weather. The integration of the Meteor missile for the F3R standard Rafales has plugged a major weakness of the type in my 2015 assessments – the lack of a serious BVR stick. What is the best Rafale variant today and why?That’s tricky to say. Having ‘flown’ full fidelity Typhoon simulators in Italy and the UK, including the latest Project Centurion multi-role standard now used by the RAF, I was impressed by the intuitive ‘feel’ of the human-machine interface (HMI) across various multi role tasks. Typhoon export users employ the Damocles pod (Saudi Arabia) and the Sniper pod (Kuwait). This is because modern SAM systems such as the S-400 and HQ-9 are highly mobile and have such long range that a subsonic cruise missile launched from a safe distance would take tens of minutes to arrive. In this role, the Typhoon is probably the standout with its superior BVR capabilities in a large scale, open ROE engagement, but up close in a flashpoint around a QRA interception Rafale might have the edge. While Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH co-ordinates the programme on Industry side, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) acts as the single point of contact for customers and governments. Depends on altitude and speed. “The F-35 delivers unmatched value as the most capable and lowest life-cycle cost aircraft, while delivering the strongest long-term industrial and economic opportunities compared to any fighter on the market. In 2015, Research Fellow at the RUSI Think-tank Justin Bronk, compared Europe’s two middle-weight fighter aircraft, the Typhoon and Rafale, The relatively subtle differences between these two superbly capable aircraft have inspired a great deal of heated debate, often poisoned by pride and nationalism. After all, Typhoon and Rafale were not built to fight each other, and will not do so. Typhoon has anti-ship munition options but no current operators use them. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. The lower the altitude, the greater Rafale’s margin of advantage; the higher one goes, the better Typhoon performs relatively. Rafale has a superior ECM (electronic attack) capability in the shape of the SPECTRA suite allowing it more options to degrade the performance of hostile SAM radars if it needs to penetrate defended airspace. Maritime attack RBE2 again due to advantages of AESA array plus a more mature maritime attack mode with Exocet integrated. Typhoon is happiest at 50,000ft and above. F-35 vs. Eurofighter Typhoon: Which Fighter Will Dominate? For example, Spanish Typhoons cost a great deal more to fly than British ones since the RAF flies its fleet a lot more and has more streamlined maintenance support arrangements. The Typhoon is not certified to carry the American-made nuclear bombs that Germany, as part of its strategic posture, is supposed to be able to carry on its jets. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo that conducts the majority of the project through a joint holding company, Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH formed in 1986. “With common DNA in terms of initial development and requirements setting work before France spilt away from what became the Eurofighter consortium to develop the Rafale, it is unsurprising that both aircraft have relatively similar design philosophies compared to their competitors globally. Both can use third party target data to launch Meteor without active radar scanning by the launch aircraft, and both can hand off guidance in flight to other friendly assets. His article provoked a huge response from readers around the world. The UK’s much more ambitious (and now funded) ECRS2 promises a massive leap in AESA capability with areas of advantage even over the latest US AESAs, but is so far only likely to be integrated onto the 40 Tranche 3s, with the fate of the 67 Tranche 2s less certain in that regard. In terms of instantaneous turn rate, Rafale has a slight advantage in air combat configuration and that increases with heavier multirole or strike loads. Also Damocles is replaced by TALIOS as part of F3R. I will add an estimate in brackets for the Kuwaiti/Qatari standard Typhoon with the ‘Radar 0’ version of the CAPTOR-E AESA which is flying and enters service this year in Kuwait. Germany’s parliament has approved a major €5.4 billion ($6.35 billion) contract to purchase heavily modernised Tranche 3 variants of the Eurofighter Typhoon fourth generation combat jet, which will allow it to phase its ageing Cold War era Tornado swept wing fighters out of service. TOPGUN instructor (and former F-14/F/A-18 crew) assesses Tomcat versus Meteor-armed Typhoon fight & list top 5 BVR fighters 2020 here. Typhoon with the PIRATE system is significantly ahead of the legacy Rafale IRST. F-35 is more economical, the Eurofighters twin engine will need more and mor However, if talking about a ‘guns’ fight, then Rafale has better agility, instantaneous turn and sustained turn capabilities below around 15,000ft. The lack of a helmet mounted sight for Rafale until the Qatari standard has meant that in practice Typhoon users may be able to get more out of IRIS-T or ASRAAM in a dynamic WVR engagement. The Typhoon—despite its superior aerodynamic performance—is slowly being edged out by the stealthy F-35. In terms of the design philosophy effects on the final aircraft, the Rafale has a greater emphasis on load carrying and exceptional handling even at very low speeds whilst the Typhoon as a design is more focused on maximum performance at altitude, and agility at transonic and supersonic speeds. Until some time ago, the German Air Force was aiming to replace the Tornado fleet only with the Eurofighter in both the ECR and the Project Quadriga configuration. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This article is out of date: there is an updated (Sept 2020) version of this article here. NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management … While the Eurofighter … With heavy loads, however, Rafale performs significantly better than Typhoon across the almost the entire performance envelope, having been designed from the outset to incorporate heavy multirole loads. All information comes from wikipedia.org, cia.gov, icanw.org, government websites and press releases. JAS 39 Gripen vs Eurofighter TyphoonComments of readers (Feel free to leave a reply on bottom)1. In practice it would depend on pilot experience and skill to fly their aircraft at best corner speed and manage their energy and position to best effect. I asked a Eurofighter pilot about this and I’m still not quite sure it’s a meaningful thing. How has Typhoon improved since your 2015 assessment?The multirole capabilities of the jet have matured drastically since 2015, especially as a result of the RAF’s Project Centurion programme which integrated Brimstone, full Paveway IV functionality and Storm Shadow, in addition to full Striker HMD exploitation and a number of other multirole enabling capabilities. Unless he has access to the official EM charts for both, he is simply guessing. Support Hush-Kit with our high quality aviation themed merchandise here. The RBE2 radar has continued to mature and is now a standout feature of the jet, whilst the French government has committed to a major upgrade of the jet’s internal systems and sensors in the upcoming F4 standard programme. Rafale uses the Damocles targeting pod for light recce duties whilst RAF Typhoons use the Lightning III which also has limited FOV recon capabilities. The AIM-120C7 and AIM-120D variants of AMRAAM used by RAF Typhoons significantly outrange MICA, although they do no boast an IR variant for passive BVR engagement capabilities. Geographically surrounded on four sides by the Eurofighter nations, the frivolous observer may liken the French Rafale to Asterix and his indomitable… The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard–delta wing, multirole fighter. With 707 aircraft ordered by six nations (Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and in service with all nations, the aircraft is Europe’s largest military collaborative program. Rafale has had some impressive success on the export market since 2015, with the combination of RBE2 radar, combat record in Libya and aggressive French state support for marketing efforts contributing to success in Egypt, Qatar and Greece (as well as India). They’re trying to do something much more ambitious; although in many scenarios the output is functionally similar. Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards. In terms of energy regeneration, Typhoon has the edge by dint of a higher specific excess power. Both Typhoon and Rafale lack a commonly carried anti-radiation missile, although modern AAM such as AMRAAM and Meteor can be assumed to have a certain degree of ARM capability in extremis. In practice, however, Typhoon users with Sniper or Lightning III can off-board data using the jet’s own datalinks. Completely slicked off with no external stores or targeting pods, a Rafale would likely have a lower frontal RCS compared to a Typhoon, but in practice neither would be combat effective in this configuration. In terms of unit cost, Rafale is marketed as cheaper than the latest standards of Typhoon, although the Indian experience would suggest that in practice export customer requirements on industrial offsets and liability can dramatically alter costs compared to the up-front offer, so I’d be wary of comparing public cost claims from either manufacturer. As for the UK v US crap spouted on here, they are the strongest alleys in the world. The Gripen, Rafale, Eurofighter, F22, F35 & all the American legacy fighters, along with the Tornado & Mirage are a massive deterrent to ANY aggressor of NATO! The flip side is that both AMRAAM variants have advanced off-board guidance capabilities to allow passive engagements in cooperation with another aircraft in active mode. Both are significantly cleaner in terms of switches and clutter than previous generations of aircraft and slightly cleaner than current generation F-15s and F-16s in USAF service. Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones. The GR4 is also equipped with Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado (Raptor), a sensor that is capable of taking highly detailed images day or night. Pre-order your copy now right here. The Eurofighter project survived the collapse of defense spending at the end of the Cold War, with a prototype first flying in 1994. As such, both Typhoon and Rafale could make a very valuable contribution to a SEAD/DEAD operation in support of more stealthy penetrating ISTAR/strike assets such as F-35 or advanced UAVs, but if hypothetically forced to fight alone neither is particularly well suited at present – Rafale having a slight edge due to the SPECTRA suite. There is less than 5% difference. Both fighters will pull 9G all day long in air combat configuration at most altitudes. This means that the Rafale will continue to improve, especially in the EW and sensor fusion department throughout the 2020s. Finland will be an interesting result to watch, but I’m not sure either aircraft could be considered a favourite. Air-to-air engagements at long ranges The RBE2 (has the advantage) against targets with a low radar cross section due to the greater performance of AESA types against these threats. It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as: “the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”. The drawback is extremely high munitions cost. The Eurofighter is also the front-runner to meet the Luftwaffe’s 85-aircraft requirement for a Tornado replacement. Both types have a similar ferry range with a ‘heavy’ three tank fit. We went back to Justin Bronk and asked him to revisit this analysis to include half a decade’s worth of development and weapons integration which has now placed these two aircraft at the top of their game. Etymology 1 From (etyl) storm, from (etyl) . Recommended donation £15. In practice, both types depend to a large degree on tanker support for most operational missions. The integration of full Meteor capability and upgrades to the UK’s ESM capabilities within the DAS are also a big boost. The Rafale's Matra MICA missiles are modern dogfight missiles on par with the AIM-9X, IRIS-T, … – In Range, the Eurofighter’s LPD takes up a wet point Both include the RBE2 although it is likely to be an export standard that is slightly de-tuned compared to French aircraft. The UK’s new Britecloud active radar ‘chaff’ countermeasures are another area where Typhoon is potentially somewhat in the lead on DAS features. Maintenance/sortie rates/operating costs/cost. However, neither truly does the F-35’s signature trick of feeding the raw sensor inputs into a complex analytical process which cross references data from and cross cues not only each sensor on the jet but also those across a formation of F-35s, before presenting a processed single SA picture to the pilot. The exact cost per flight hour (a hugely contentious topic anyway) will depend greatly on which operator and which version you are looking at. The Indian standard Rafales come with a Towed Radar Decoy (TRD) but the French aircraft currently lack this feature. Germany has cleared its Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missile but since German politicians do not believe that Air Forces should be used to kill people, its capabilities remain untested in combat. The Panavia Tornado was created in the 1970s … German defense officials on Thursday evening stressed that no decisions had been made besides reducing the playing field to the FA-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. France’s AASM ‘Hammer’ series of glide and boosted bomb guidance kits gives Rafale a comparable capability to Paveway IV with a greater amount of warhead and range flexibility. The central display protruding out towards the pilot in the Rafale would be a matter of personal taste over the more traditional Typhoon display layout, with an easier view of the main radar/situational awareness display coming at the cost of slightly reduced cockpit working area in a cockpit already slightly more snug than Typhoon’s. Variants Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Costs like a Raptor, flies like a Tornado. “That’s why they will keep flying the Tornados, despite the price tag and despite having asked about a Eurofighter nuclear certification in Washington,” Kamp predicted at the time. The military is scrambling to understand the aviation crash risk from a new 5G sale, Biden picks Lloyd Austin, retired Army general, to lead Pentagon, Acting SecDef, service secretaries exposed to COVID-19 after top civilian tests positive, Head of nuclear weapons agency unexpectedly resigns. The main argument is to keep European companies involved in building combat aircraft and, perhaps even more importantly, staying clear of disturbing Franco-German momentum in armaments cooperation. Cockpit layout/man-machine interfaceBoth aircraft have similar cockpit layouts in most respects, with three large main multifunction colour displays capable of significant customisation to suit individual pilot preferences in the latest versions. Brimstone’s smaller size also allows more weapons to be carried per aircraft, with three per hardpoint on adaptors. Air-to-air engagements at short ranges and why?RBE2 due to much faster AESA scan, acquisition and classification of target capabilities, greater resistance to dropping contacts during manoeuvres, as well as excellent information display for pilots in F3R cockpit. With the Centurion upgrades, Meteor integration and an extremely experienced user community both in terms of strike/multirole missions and air superiority, the RAF’s Tranche 3 Typhoons would edge out the Kuwaiti and Qatari aircraft in terms of operational capability, even though the latter feature the export version of the CAPTOR-E radar series. F-22 Raptor vs Eurofighter Typhoon: Who Would Win? Part of this upgrade is the “Quadriga” project that will replace the German Tranche 1 Fleet. COLOGNE, Germany ― Germany’s Ministry of Defence has officially ruled out the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as a choice to replace its aging Tornado fleet, Defense News has learned. I would say this has to be counted as the definitive Rafale v Typhoon comparison for the early 2020s. With external pylons, tanks, weapons and pods, both have a sufficient RCS to be detected at long ranges by modern sensors such as the Irbis-E on the Su-35 and Chinese AESAs on J-10C, J-16 or J-20, as well as ground based air defence radars. A Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet flies at the Berlin air show. Competing against the Typhoon is Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The latter was deleted from the latest F3R standard aircraft pending an updated capability in the F4 standard jets, leaving a laser rangefinder/EO ball only. The wartime load-out for Typhoon would by four Meteor in semi-recessed fuselage mounts plus four ASRAAM/IRIS-T although in practice a mix of Meteor and AMRAAM might be chosen for additional tactical flexibility and stockpile management. Owner of this site is not responsible for potential mistakes or lacks of data. In a complex battlespace with dense ground based as well as aerial threats, both Typhoon and Rafale are formidable assets but would rely on support from dedicated penetrating and stand-off assets to minimise risk and truly perform at their best. The ongoing flight trials of the SPEAR 3 multirole light standoff munition (which includes an EW variant for stand-in jamming) on UK Typhoons give the type access to another highly potent option, although at present the UK is only paying to actually use SPEAR 3 on F-35B. Curious on what he bases his comments on instantaneous and sustained turn rate. Meanwhile the new Qatari standard Rafales are being delivered with the type’s first HMD, but the French Air Force still lacks this capability, and the system is still to be matured. Frankly, Switzerland should be flying Gripen C/D or possibly E/F given their national budget, neutrality and mission requirements and I’d wager anyone who looks at it from an operational requirements point of view would come to a similar conclusion. What is the best Typhoon variant today and why? Energy management/ ability to regenerate energy. Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to do the same with the French Air Force (hint hint mes amis!). The actual cost will depend on the govt-govt relationship and how many of the bells and whistles each customer wants to pay for. An official from the ministry confirmed that the F-35 is not a finalist in the competition, which seeks a replacement for the 90-jet fleet. By dint of being complex multi role single seat (in most cases) fighters, the HOTAS controls are fairly intimidating to someone used to a US teen series (or my DCS A-10C/F-16 HOTAS), but once mastered are extremely comprehensive. Typhoon users will have to wait for the UK-developed ECRS2 radar and DAS upgrade for a competitive or even (potentially) superior option. The Typhoon was conceived from the start of the project as a collaborative venture by several European countries under the Eurofighter GmbH consortium. It can also carry other munitions including the US Paveway II and III series of laser-guided bombs, and has been cleared for the AGM-88 HARM and British ALARM anti-radiation missiles although these are not in operational service. “We have not been officially notified of a decision on Germany’s future fighter,” Lockheed spokesman Mike Friedman said in an emailed response to a query. The fact that Kuwaiti Typhoons are already flying with the export AESA is a welcome but long overdue improvement but Typhoon really continues to lag in terms of exploitation of its huge potential (given the massive nose aperture and power available) in the AESA department. However, Rafale can also use the RECO-NG wide area/standoff TAC-R pod to provide a modern, fully digital equivalent to RAPTOR. Berlin for some time has officially favored an upgraded version of the fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon — built by a consortium of Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems — as the Tornado replacement. At higher altitudes, Typhoon’s greater specific excess power and decoupled canards give it a slight advantage, which increases as altitude increases above 45,000ft. Eurofighter vs Tornado F3? The move is not altogether surprising. eurofighter ; Derived terms * typhoon fifth Related terms * tycoon See also * cyclone * hurricane * tornado storm . ( Log Out /  Rafale is designed to excel at subsonic speeds and at lower altitudes. In May 2019, EUROFIGHTER, Eurojet Turbo and NETMA (NATO EUROFIGHTER and Tornado Management Agency) signed contracts worth a total of €53.7M to initiate the studies and risk reduction phase of the LTE for the EUROFIGHTER. Based on the physical properties of the two aircraft I’d suspect the Rafale has a higher instantaneous rate, but at the same time the Typhoon should have a superior sustained turn rate irrespective of altitude thanks to signifantly higher thrust and a lower induced drag. Air-to-groundRBE2 as a multifunction AESA radar gives far more air-to-ground functionality than CAPTOR-M. (Radar 0 is optimised for air-to-air and is unlikely to challenge RBE2 in this arena). The MoD will request additional information from the respective manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, on the issues of operations, economic viability and timing, these officials said. Some points to be corrected: How frequently is Meteor actually carried in 2020?Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons regularly carry Meteor on live operational sorties with European users, although the Tranche 1s do not use the missile which is why the RAF purchased the latest AIM-120D for its remaining Tranche 1s. By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Early Bird Brief. However, as a rule Rafale is probably slightly cheaper in real terms to acquire than Typhoon. However, the Hornets will need a new certification to wield … In within-visual range combat, both Typhoon and Rafale would likely destroy each other in the merge in a 1v1 or 2v2. (From the Sponsor) Personal finance expert Jeanette Mack discusses steps to take for paying your student loan payments. Defensive aids SPECTRA has a better reputation primarily because of Libya in 2011 (a result of French political ambition and risk tolerance, alongside technical capability). Rafale operating costs and availability likewise varies across standards and operators. As the foundation of NATO’s next generation of air power, the F-35 is the most advanced aircraft in the world today, and includes Electronic Attack capabilities well beyond any specialized fourth generation aircraft.”. The news was first reported by German site AugenGeradeaus. The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft. Rafale improved since your 2015 assessment? They have a healthy respect for them. Money Minute — When Should You Close a Credit Card?