Eurofighter releases image of Typhoon with 14 Meteor missiles

In its Eurofighter World magazine, Eurofighter, the consortium that manufactures the Typhoon fighter, released a design of the fighter with an impressive payload of 14 long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles and two short-range IRIS-T.

It is the first time that an image, even a computer graphic one, shows the Typhoon with double hangers to carry the missiles. The fact that it was published by the manufacturer itself also indicates that such a capability could be developed for the fighter in the future.

However, according to the website The Aviationist, the configuration is quite unlikely.

Weight and Autonomy

Weight and range are the two characteristics that make a 16-missile configuration very unlikely. These days, you hardly see the Typhoon configured with just one or no external fuel tanks.

In terms of weight, using publicly available data, the total payload, including a 1.000 liter fuel tank, 14 Meteors (190 kg each) and two IRIS-T missiles (89 kg each) is just under 4.000 kg, less than the half of the Typhoon's payload which is estimated to be over 9.000 kg (although some sources claim the external payload is 6.500 kg).

Another image released in Eurofighter World magazine shows the fighter carrying Laser-JDAM bombs, KEPD 350 cruise missiles, Brimstone II air-to-ground missiles and Meteor and IRIS-T air-to-air missiles. Image: Eurofighter.

In the Royal Air Force, one of the heaviest air-to-air configurations is that of two tanks, four Meteor or AIM-120 missiles and four more IRIS-T or ASRAAM missiles.

Heavy loads have already been tested and presented on the fighter at air shows and demonstrations, however, operationally, it is not interesting to carry so much war material unnecessarily as such weight causes more stress and structural wear on the fighter.

In addition, the more cargo, the lower the autonomy of the aircraft. Even with in-flight refueling capability, if added to the previously described factor, the 16-missile configuration still becomes uninteresting (although impressive).

RAF Typhoon FGR.4 with underwing tanks and ASRAAM and AIM-120B AMRAAM missiles. Photo: Geoff Lee/British Ministry of Defence.

However, even if unlikely, there is a scenario well designed for 4.5 generation fighters where the Typhoon's 16-missile payload may be more possible: missile/bomb truck.

As a "bomb or missile truck", the Typhoon would fly in support of fifth- and sixth-generation fighters such as the F-35 and Tempest. Stealth fighters would go ahead of previous generation fighters, transmitting and updating data via datalink.

In case of engagement, the Typhoon could fire the missile without turning on its onboard radar, while the Meteor receives updates via the stealth fighter's datalink.

Such a scenario has already been tested in exercises and is projected to be one of the main jobs of the new F-15EX of the US Air Force. The newest version of the Eagle will be able to carry 22 air-to-air missiles through the use of new double hangers developed by Boeing, called AMBER (Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejection Rack).

F-15C Eagle with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles mounted on AMBER hangers.

Fifth-generation fighters carry their weapons internally in order to reduce their radar signature, which limits the size and number of bombs and missiles carried.

Even so, the highest probability is that this configuration will never get off the ground, as well as other improvements designed for Typhoon.

Range and Maneuverability

Two improvement projects for the Eurofighter Typhoon have been highly publicized in recent years, but neither has come to fruition: the Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) and the Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK).

Typhoon mock-up with conformal tanks. Photo: Luigi Sani.

The proposal for conformal fuel tanks was released at the beginning of the last decade. Two 1500-liter tanks would be added to the aircraft's fuselage, bringing more autonomy to the fighter. Wind tunnel tests were carried out, in addition to mock-ups of the fighter with CFTs being presented at air shows.

Despite the hype, speculation, and projections, CFTs have not and probably never will. The tanks were designed for the Tranche 3 version fighters, which were already manufactured with the necessary modifications to receive the tanks.

However, tests in the wind tunnel showed that the conformal tanks made the aircraft very unstable in subsonic flight. Aerodynamic instability is normal in fighters, as it brings more maneuverability.

Wind tunnel test model, Photo: BAe Systems.

Instability is controlled by the flight computers, but with the CFTs they would have to work even harder to keep the fighter in “flyable” condition. In addition, no Typhoon operator showed interest in the implement, which would also not have a good cost-benefit ratio.

The Aerodynamic Modification Kit was part of a broader program aimed at improving the Typhoon's maneuverability through the addition of strakes and wing root extensions (LERX), which gave the fighter 25% more lift generated by the wings.

German test typhoon with the AMK. Photo: Airbus.

More lift brought a higher turn rate, smaller turn radius and more angle of attack for the fighter. But, none of the countries that operate Typhoon have installed AMK in their respective units.

Via The Aviationist.