Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1333129
replacing the aircraft used by one of the con- tinental Hornet squadrons. The third lot would be received by the last of the Hornet units. The two latter lots of 40 jets inspire a lot of do- ubts. There are many opinion makers, the new commander of the Spanish Air Force included, suggesting that the above lot would not come in a form of Eurofighters. Spain may be willing to procure another aircraft, belonging to the 5th generation. These statements directly po- int to Lockheed Martin's F-35. Both the Navy, as well as the Air Force could, to unify the fle- et with the Navy seeking Harrier replacement, could decide jointly to procure and operate the F-35 Lightning platform. Apart from procurement, Ejército del Aire is also upgrading its assets - as the Hornets are gradually approaching the end of their service life, the Eurofighters have now become the primary object of upgrades. Interestingly, the Spanish Air Force, contrary to its German or British counterparts, decided, from the very be- ginning, to extend the lifetime of the Tranche 1 aircraft as well. Considering the above, and the fact that other partner nations had no similar plans, the upgrade is mostly a national pro- gram, with some solutions and modifications prepared by the domestic, Spanish industry. Currently, the jets are undergoing the OFP 01 phase of the upgrades at the Getafe-based Airbus plant. The effort would make it possible to bring the Spanish Tranche 1 jets up to the capability levels on par with the aircraft of the newer production lots. The Spanish Typhoons will receive a new onboard computer, cockpit displays, and voice and image recording sys- tems. The jets would also be tailored to carry the Litening III targeting pods. The first of the upgraded aircraft has already been handed off to the user, in January 2019. The works con- cerning all of the 17 Tranche 1 jets in single- and twin-seat variants are scheduled to be fi- nalized in 2023. The OFP 02 stage (the second stage of the said upgrade) would see the jet being made capable of employing the GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II bombs, or AIM-120C7 missiles, as well as the Litening III targeting pods. The upgrades also pertain to the aircraft from the Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 production lots. 54 airframes are undergoing upgrades aligned with the „international" Phased Enhancement standard. The effort undertaken here currently refers to the P2Eb stage. Here, the Meteor mis- sile is integrated on the aircraft. New M-SCAN radar modes would be available, following this upgrade. The PIRATE system performance would also be enhanced. The next stage - P3Ea - would involve further enhancements. The stage above began when an agreement was signed, on June 26th, 2020, aimed at the acquisition of the first five E-Scan ECRS Mk 1 radars for the upgraded aircraft. The activities mentioned above would conti- nue. Another 17 radars, brand new ones, wo- uld be acquired. Only 21 of the Tranche 3A jets would receive the new sensor. Meanwhile, Tranche 3 and Tranche 2 Typhoons would re- ceive the remaining upgrades - the capability to carry the AIM-120C7 for instance. Another element of the modernization would come in a form of new weapons integration - AIM-120C7 missiles and GBU-53 SDB II bombs. The COVID-19-induced economic crisis may have a detrimental impact on the Spanish plans. The Spanish economy suffers a lot, from the pandemic. The Spanish authorities may be forced to look for savings - for instan- ce in their defense budget. At the same time, the necessity to keep the job market alive, and keep the jobs at the domestic defense indu- stry businesses alive, as well as at the interna- tional businesses with Spanish share in them, such as the Airbus branch in Getafe, may alto- gether force the Spanish government to spend more on the armament manufactured with the involvement of the domestic industry. Airbus suggested that continued implementation of the purchase plans and launching of new projects would be a must, considering the up- coming crisis, to maintain the manufacturing potential and 2,200 jobs, for highly qualified personnel working at the Spanish branch of the leading European aerospace and defense sector player. AVIATION