FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon

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FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES
                         DECEMBER 2016

 GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE

 BALTIC AIR POLICING

 A CHANGING AIR FORCE

FIT FOR THE FUTURE
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
2                  2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                                                                                                                                                    EDITORIAL                    2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD    3

                                                         CONTENTS
                                                         EUROFIGHTER WORLD
                                                         PROGRAMME NEWS & FEATURES
                                                         DECEMBER 2016

                                                    05   Editorial                                                             24                             Baltic policing role             42   Dardo 03
                                                         Welcome from Volker Paltzo,                                                                          Germany took over NATO’s              Journalist David Cenciotti was lucky enough to
                                                         CEO of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH.                                                                Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mis-        get a back seat ride during an Italian Air Force
                                                                                                                                                              sion in September with five           training mission. Read his eye-opening first hand
                                                                                                                                                              Eurofighters from the Tactical        account of what life onboard the Eurofighter
Title:
Eurofighter Typoon with                             06   At the heart of the mix                                                                              Air Wing 74 in Neuburg,               Typhoon is really like.
P3E weapons fit.                                         With the UK RAF evolving to meet new demands we speak to                                             Bavaria deployed to Estonia.
                                                         Typhoon Force Commander Air Commodore Ian Duguid about the
Picture: Jamie Hunter
                                                         changing shape of the Air Force and what it means for Typhoon.

                                                                                                                               26                             Meet Sina Hinteregger
                                                                                                                                                              By day Austrian Sina
                                                                                                                                                              Hinteregger is an aircraft
                                                                                                                                                              mechanic working on
                                                                                                                                                              Typhoon, outside work she
                                                                                                                                                              is one of the country’s best
Eurofighter World is published by                                                                                                                             triathletes. We spoke to her
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH
                                                                                                                                                              about her twin passions.         46   Power base
PR & Communications
Am Söldnermoos 17, 85399 Hallbergmoos                                                                                                                                                               Find out how Eurofighter Typhoon wowed the
Tel: +49 (0) 811-80 1587                                                                                                                                                                            crowds at AIRPOWER16, Austria’s biggest Air
communications@eurofighter.com
                                                    12   Master of QRA                                                                                                                              Show.
Editorial Team                                           Discover why Eurofighter Typhoon’s outstanding performance and        28   Flying visit: GROSSETO
Theodor Benien
Martina Schmidmeir
                                                         ability make it the perfect aircraft for Quick Reaction Alert.             In the first of an exclusive
Adam Morrison                                                                                                                       two-part special we take an
Becky Taylor
                                                                                                                                    in-depth look at the work
Miranda Watton
                                                    14   Fit for the future                                                         of the Italian Air Force’s 4th
Contributers                                             Typhoon is on a continuous journey of capability development. In           Wing at their base Aero
Airbus Defence and Space
BAE Systems                                              this edition we take a look at what the future could bring with the        Grosseto in Tuscany. In this
LEONARDO Finmeccanica                                    team behind Eurofighter’s ‘Long-term Evolution’ initiative.                edition we talk to Col Marco
EUROJET Turbo GmbH
Viva PR
                                                                                                                                    Lant 4th Wing Commander
                                                                                                                                    and Lt Col Morgan L, 20th
Photography                                                                                                                         Squadron Commander.
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH
Eurofighter Partner Companies
Geoffrey Lee, Planefocus Limited, UK
Doris Staudenmeyer
                                                                                                                               36   The genius of Leonardo
Design & Production                                                                                                                 We took a closer look at our Italian Eurofighter
images.art.design. Werbeagentur GmbH
                                                                                                                                    Partner Company and how its involvement is helping
www.iad-design.de
                                                                                                                                    keep the Typhoon competitive in a global market.
Printed by
ESTA Druck GmbH
www.esta-druck.de

                                                    20                                        New milestone for
Eurofighter World on the Internet                                                             Typhoon pilot
www.eurofighter.com
Follow us on:                                                                                 An RAF pilot has created a
                                                                                              piece of Eurofighter Typhoon
                                                                                              history. Find out more about
                                                                                              his incredible milestone.                                                                             IN OUR NEXT ISSUE...
If you would like to request additional copies of
                                                                                                                                                                                                    A special report about the Spanish Air Force at
Eurofighter World, please contact the
PR & Communications Department:                                                                                                                                                                     the Albacete Air Base.
communications@eurofighter.com

December 2016
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
4   2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD               EDITORIAL                    2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                     5

                                                                       WELCOME
                                                                       In our world we are constantly looking to the
                                                                       next horizon — in search of innovation, new
                                                                       capabilities and, of course, new customers.
                                                                       Not surprisingly, this is a theme that runs
                                                                       throughout this edition of Eurofighter
                                                                       WORLD.

                                                                       With Eurofighter Typhoon competing strongly
                                              in a global market for customers and contracts, we have a clear focus

                               EDITORIAL
                                              on giving customers — both existing and new — exactly what they
                                              need.

                                              Essentially, this boils down to delivering new capabilities. Whenever
                                              we speak to customers, it’s what they tell us they want. Of course, the
                                              specific capabilities may vary from customer to customer, but the
                                              general point remains the same. They all need the aircraft to be capa-
                                              ble of doing continously more to fulfil their national and international
                                              deployments and operations.

                                              That’s why we have a clear capability road map — covering the intro-
                                              duction of new weapons, and also sensors like the E-Scan radar. It’s
                                              also why we have a plan beyond the road map that will help us to
                                              introduce more and futher develop the abilities of the aircraft.

                                              In this edition, you can read more about how Eurofighter is planning
                                              ahead through our Long Term Evolution initiative, to deliver for our
                                              customers not just for next year but for the decades to come.

                                              There’s also an interview with the UK RAF’s Typhoon Force
                                              Commander Ian Duguid and now Eurofighter will remain ‘the back-
                                              bone of the RAF’s combat air power’ until at least 2040.

                                              Sticking to the capability theme, we also take a look at the relation-
                                              ship with one of our key partners LEONARDO, and the work being
                                              done to bring the E-Scan radar to the aircraft.

                                              Looking to the future, Eurofighter Typhoon plays a vital role for our
                                              present customers. This edition of Eurofighter WORLD features the
                                              first of a two-part article on Grosseto Air Base — home to the Italian
                                              Air Forces 9th and 20th Squadrons.

                                              There’s plenty more interesting features, including journalist David
                                              Cenciotti’s first hand experience of witnessing an Italian Air Force
                                              training mission from the back seat of a Typhoon and a look at the
                                              Baltic Air Policing role being carried out by the German Air Force.

                                              I hope you enjoy the read and, as ever, I welcome any feedback you
                                              may have.

                                              Yours

                                              Volker Paltzo
                                              CEO
                                              Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
6   2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                INTERVIEW                                                    INTERVIEW                       2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD   7

    AT THE HEART OF
          NEW MIX
                                                   The RAF is evolving, changing
                                                   to meet new demands. Tornado —
                                                   for decades a lynchpin of the
                       On the record with
                                                   UK´s force mix — is heading out
              AIR COMMODORE
                                                   of service. At the same time,
                  IAN DUGUID
                                                   preparations are taking place to
                                                   say hello to the new kid on the
                                                   block, the F-35, when it enters
                                                   into service before the end of the
                                                   decade. Meanwhile Typhoon is
                                                   going through an intense period
                                                   of development with weapons and
                                                   E-Scan radar integration. In this
                                                   edition of Eurofighter WORLD, we
                                                   speak to UK RAF Typhoon Force
                                                   Commander Air Commodore Ian
                                                   Duguid about the changing shape
                                                   of the Royal Air Force and
                                                   ultimately what it means for the
                                                   role of Typhoon. >>

                                                                                        Photo by: SAC Megan Woodhouse(RAF). © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2015
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
8            2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                            INTERVIEW                                                                                 INTERVIEW                 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD              9

>> AT THE HEART OF NEW MIX

               G
                        oodbye Tornado. Hello upgraded              understand and develop our tactics and                                                                currently fly three different Tranche of aircraft
                        Typhoon and the F-35. Two aircraft —        procedures.                                                                                           — and there will always be continuous up-
                        one fundamental job — providing a na-           “In one sense it’s not a question of how im-                                                      grades. For example, in the early 2020s we
               tion’s air power. Given this state of flux there’s   portant or relevant Typhoon will be but how                                                           may potentially look at upgrades to the displays
               a question about the role of Typhoon in the          important the force mix will be in the future.                                                        within the cockpit and start to examine the
               coming decades in the context of UK Air              The prospect of the two aircraft, working                                                             next generation of head up display or whether
               Power. From his vantage point at Typhoon             together looks incredibly exciting.”                                                                  we go to a helmet-mounted system. These are
               Force HQ in RAF Coningsby, Air Commodore                 The work to mature the Eurofighter plat-                                                          things we are already discussing and putting
               Ian Duguid is very clear about this.                 form in both the Air-to-Surface and Air-to-Air                                                        onto a ‘possible capability’ road map. But as for
                                                                    domains is developing with real intensity.                                                            a traditionally defined midlife upgrade I would
                                                                    Tests are taking place for the integration of                                                         argue that the delivery of Project Centurion and
                                                                    Storm Shadow, Meteor and Brimstone, as well                                                           E-Scan radar is effectively like that anyway,
                                                                    as the dawning of E-Scan radar for Typhoon.                                                           except it isn’t coming midlife.”
                                                                    These are all vital for the UK, with Typhoon be-
                                                                    ing expected to step forward and carry out the
                                                                    heavy lifting in the Air-to-Surface domain in
                                                                    the RAF´s post Tornado era. The RAF’s
                                                                    Project Centurion is designed to ensure a
                                                                    seamless transition between Typhoon and
                                                                    Tornado capabilities when Tornado goes out
                                                                    of service for the RAF in early 2019.
                                                                        “Typhoon is in a really good place right
                                                                    now — with its current capabilities it is one of
                                                                    the most advanced 4th gen aircraft in the
 Photo by: Craig Sluman
                                                                    world. But it’s going to get even better over
                                                                    the next few years. That will absolutely under-
                   “The simple answer is that it is going to be     pin its utility for the next 25 years of its life.
               really important for a couple of reasons. First,         “We know that Typhoon already offers an
               while we all recognise the capability of the         excellent multi-role capability. That is mani-
               F-35 as a low observable, modern fighter with        fest through our direct support of the two
               a highly capable sensor, the bottom line is          current operations, Operation SHADER,
               that the backbone of the RAF’s combat air            countering the Islamic State forces in Iraq and
               power is going to be provided by Typhoon.            Syria, and the NATO Baltic Air Policing mis-
                   “That’s going to be the case for at least the    sion, ensuring the integrity of Estonian air
               next two and a half decades because the UK           space. Both of these operations are different
               Government’s Strategic Defence Spending              and extol the virtues of Typhoon as a multi-
               Review of 2015 saw an extension of Typhoon’s         role platform. However, the aircraft’s growth
                                                                                                                                                                           Typhoons training with F-35
               life out to 2040, and that’s really good news.       plan, in terms of capability, amplifies and
                   “Typhoon will be hugely important and it         develops the role.
               will remain relevant for two main reasons:               “Project Centurion will deliver a stand off
               firstly, because of its capability, and secondly,    air-launched cruise missile capability through                                                            Typhoon’s future capability is not simply
               because of the relative size of the forces we        the introduction of Storm Shadow; it will intro-                                                      cast around being a replacement for Tornado
               will have. The RAF aspires to have eight             duce the Brimstone 2 Air-to-Surface missile,                                                          but as a fundamental part in a team of assets.
               Typhoon squadrons by the early 2020s, by             as well as the highly capable Meteor Air-to-Air                                                       Not surprisingly, a lot of thought and planning
               contrast the F-35 Lightning Force will com-          missile, which will produce significant beyond-                                                       has gone into the question of how Typhoon
               prise two front line squadrons. You can see          visual-range capability over and above what                                                           will operate alongside other manned and un-
               straight away, from that ratio, Typhoon will be      we have right now.                                                                                    manned aircraft in the years ahead.
               hugely relevant.                                         “These are really positive steps forward in                                                           “For me it’s not a case of ‘how will they’
                   “But it’s not just a question of numbers,        their own right but when you also add to that                                                         but ‘how do they’ because that is exactly what
               the important bit is capability. Typhoon will        E-Scan radar and, potentially, the introduction                                                       we are doing right now. We are already setting
               bring an awful lot to the party and Typhoon          of a stand off Air-to-Surface weapon capabili-                                                        some really good conditions for developing fu-
               and F-35 will complement one another.”               ty such as Spear Cap3, then Typhoon will                                                              ture tactics and operating procedures. Right
                   This idea that the two in tandem will offer      move into a whole new world of capability.                                                            now our pilots are flying operations over Iraq
               the UK force a capability that is greater than           “There is a clear road map that will deliver                                                      and Syria, working hand in glove with un-
               the sum of the individual parts is fundamental       the new capabilities and we are living it now.                                                        manned Reapers, through their ability to gen-
               to the UK’s air power strategy. The man who          Project Centurion will set the conditions for                                                         erate situational awareness for the Typhoons.
               heads up the RAF’s Typhoon Force says inter-         Typhoon into the next decade. Then, the intro-                                                            “Equally the Typhoon Force has exercised
               operability is already a key focus.                  duction of other capabilities like E-Scan radar,                                                      regularly with the US Air Force F-22s, a 5th
                   “We are doing a lot of work with F-35 over       will see the aircraft out to 2040.”                                                                   gen platform which has similar characteristics
               the coming months, even though we haven’t                Many aircraft go through midlife upgrades                                                         to the F-35 (though it’s more an air superiori-
               formally introduced it in the UK yet. For exam-      in order to extend their life, but the Force                                                          ty, air dominance capability). Typhoon has
               ple, there will be a squadron of Typhoons de-        Commander believes it may not be necessary                                                            worked really well with it. We’ve been able to
               ploying to the United States on an exercise          for Typhoon thanks to the existing road map.                                                          develop really good systems and functions
               where it will be working with F-35. In addition,         He says: “Typhoon is continually undergo-                                                         working with F-22 that we are going to take
               we are already working in the simulators to          ing incremental upgrades — indeed we                                                                  into the F-35 work. >>
                                                                                                                         Photo by: Geoffrey Lee, Planefocus
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
10         2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                          INTERVIEW                                                                                                                                                                                 INTERVIEW                        2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD             11

>> AT THE HEART OF NEW MIX

               “We are also doing co-operative work in        fighter with interoperability in mind.             scenarios are being looked at in the simula-        round — with Typhoon out there in front, high         “QRA gets overlooked at times and to             sound like an advert but I genuinely think
           the simulators. Right now we are carrying out          “I have worked on the F-35 programme           tors and how will these be fine-tuned when          and fast, with F-35 coming in behind.             some degree that’s a good thing. People can          that’s the case.”
           highly demanding and testing operational           and I know what it is going to bring. In addi-     the F-35 enters operational service in the             “The new force mix will certainly provide      rest easy at night knowing we are out there              So while the arrival of F-35 might be grab-
           missions in the simulator, so we are able to       tion, Typhoon has gone through upgrades            UK? Well, what the RAF already knows is that        greater choice for the air commander about        protecting the UK’s air space and assuring           bing headlines, it’s clear what will be at the
           fully expand the envelope and capitalise on        that added to what was already an awesome          they’ll have many more options.                     how they want to exploit these capabilities       the security people crave and are entitled to.       heart of the RAF.
           the sensor suite and capabilities of F-35 and      capability. Adding the two together is going to        “Obviously I can’t say too much about the       and how they want to deal with particular sit-        “But the flipside is that it is also important       “Typhoon has never been more relevant
           Typhoon to develop our interoperability            mean there are some really exciting times          details of the tactics and techniques that are      uations, whether that’s a question of how we      to remind everyone from time to time that            than it is now and it’s going to be that way
           procedures.                                        ahead as we develop tactics and prove them         being worked through in the current interop-        hit particular targets or how we create           QRA is what we do and we do it very well. The        over the next two decades. It is doing the
               “There are bound to be some challenges         on operations.                                     erability trials, but in broad terms it (the com-   certain conditions.                               very notion that 24/7, for 365 days a year, we       jobs it is being tasked to do and doing them
           out there and we are determined to overcome            “Clearly we now have the baseline for the      bination) gives us real options.                       “Of course, a lot of what we have been         have aircraft and crews that are ready to            exceptionally well. It’s world class. Look at
           them because we have to make this force mix        next two decades from a combat air power                “We have a Typhoon that flies at super-        talking about relates to high end warfare         scramble to assure the integrity of the UK’s         Operation SHADER and QRA, Typhoon is do-
           fully interoperable and we are working hard        perspective —Typhoon and F-35, along with          sonic speeds high in the atmosphere, add to         options but there will be times and places        air space is important.”                             ing two fundamentally different jobs. We are
           to do just that. Those challenges are not          all of the situational awareness and intelli-      that E-Scan radar with a Meteor missile and         where the different aircraft are working sepa-        And there’s no doubt in the Force                working really well and delivering what is be-
           insurmountable, some will be hard, but we          gence provided by unmanned and remotely            a considerable amount of munitions and a            rately, like the Typhoon squadron in the Baltic   Commander’s mind that no matter what,                ing asked of us… but it doesn’t stop there.
           can overcome them.                                 piloted air vehicles. That combination is rela-    sensor suite that would work with F-35. The         Air Policing role it does now, or in Iraq and     there’s nothing more suited to this particular           “It’s looking really good further down the
               “The idea of working together means you        tively well set. It’s a baseline that will defi-   F-35 would be able to share a lot of its infor-     Syria.”                                           job than Typhoon.                                    line. And that’s exciting.”
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
12      2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                        EUROFIGHTER                                                                                                                                                            EUROFIGHTER                        2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD           13

EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND ABILITY
 The ability to patrol and intercept hostile aircraft is known as Quick Reaction Alert.
 Across Europe and beyond, the Eurofighter Typhoon is on 24/7 standby. With outstanding
 performance and ability to get airborne quickly, it’s perfect for the job.

       ENHANCED SITUATIONAL                             QUICK TURN AROUND                             RADAR                                           SENSORS                                         ENGINE START-UP                                ENGINE PERFORMANCE
       AWARENESS
        Even while still on the ground, the pilot         Optimized ground procedures ensure           The radar’s special visual identification    As well as aiding Air-to-Surface opera-        The automated engine start-up, combined       The Eurofighter’s twin EJ 200 engines
         can keep a check on the position of the            quick turn around after previous flight       modes help the pilot make a safe and          tions, the pod gives the pilot the ability      with several dedicated QRA-modes for           give outstanding climb performance.
         aircraft to be intercepted via its Data-Link       with only a small amount of specialists       efficient interception of the target.         to perform an identification beyond visual      the navigation system, allows for an           It takes about 1 minute 30 seconds after
         (a two-way radio-controlled data exchange).        needed.                                                                                     range and saves the images as digital           extremely short time frame from scram-         take-off to reach more than 30,000 feet,
        Once in flight, the avionic system helps                                                                                                       data.                                           ble to wheels off the ground.                  all the while maintaining intercept
         by calculating available range and endur-                                                                                                     During night operations, the Forward           The auxiliary power unit can be started by     airspeed.
         ance and constantly displays the informa-                                                                                                      Looking Infa Red (FLIR) allows for              ground crew while the pilot is entering       With a best in class thrust to weight ratio
         tion to the pilot.                                                                                                                             identification capability.                      the cockpit after scramble, again gaining      — more than 1.5 — the Eurofighter boasts
        Merging all available information together                                                                                                                                                     precious time.                                 unmatched climb performance.
         through data sensor fusion technology                                                                                                                                                                                                        The aircraft’s Supercruise capability gives
         helps to give the pilot the best and most                                                                                                                                                                                                     the Eurofighter the ability to intercept
         accurate information available.                                                                                                                                                                                                               possible targets with supersonic speed,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       without the need to use reheat abilities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       (its afterburner), which optimizes fuel
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       consumption.

                                                                                                                                                      Photo by: SAC Megan Woodhouse (RAF). © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2015
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
14    2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                          EUROFIGHTER                            EUROFIGHTER   2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD   15

EVOLVING THE EUROFIGHTER
FIT AND FLEXIBLE FOR THE FUTURE
     No-one knows exactly what
     the world will look like in
     the 2040s, but one thing
     we do know is that the
     Typhoon will still be in
     service, which is why
     Eurofighter’s ‘Long-term
     Evolution’ initiative has
     already started.
     For at least the next two
     decades Eurofighter is on
     a journey of capability
     development.

     I
         f a complex design development journey
         can ever justifiably be summed up in one
         word, it’s probably this: flexibility.
         “The central idea is not to make a big bang
     change, rather introduce changes that will
     facilitate ongoing refreshes quickly and af-
     fordably. That’s one of the guiding principles,”
     says Rob Wells, Eurofighter Weapon System
     Manager, who along with Filippo Danubio,
     Vice President Weapon System Development,
     is part of the team pulling together the plan.
         “We know that the threats — aircraft,
     Surface-to-Air missiles and other types of
     weapons systems that are coming into play —
     are all evolving. We need to be able to counter
     that. So we will have to evolve too and we will
     firstly have to be able to do it quickly, and
     secondly, as you’re not actually sure exactly
     what’s around the corner, we have to plan for
     the unplannable.” >>
                                                                      Photo by: Jamie Hunter
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
16         2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                          EUROFIGHTER                                                                   EUROFIGHTER                 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD               17

>> EVOLVING THE EUROFIGHTER

               In some senses then, the future capability         This last point is crucial. While the                                                   develop the jet to meet that need. Of course,
           journey is an acceleration of what has charac-     Eurofighter of the 2040s will look pretty much                                              nobody really knows for certain what the
           terised Typhoon’s operational life to date.        the same as it does today — it will have two                                                future will bring. It could be, arguably, that air
           Over the past decade it has already shown an       engines and fly at certain speeds within its                                                forces continue operating Typhoon in the
           incredible amount of adaptability. Fortunately,    design envelope — its sensors and the                                                       same way as it has since it entered service. It
           the original design team did an excellent job      weapons will evolve to enhance its opera-                                                   will, for example, always perform QRA duties.
           creating a fantastic design template, which        tional effectiveness.                                                                       But current demands are not as high when
           has been able to grow. So in a very real sense,        So the next phase of the evolution will                                                 compared to operating in the perceived con-
           the machine has been transformed in line with      build on the foundation but take place largely                                              tested battlefield.
           the needs of its various air force users.          ‘under the surface’ because, in the second                                                      “One factor that is gaining more and more
               Through the Long-term Evolution initiative,    half of its service life, Eurofighter Typhoon will                                          importance is cyber resistance. Ensuring the
           the team is pro-actively looking at future ca-     be increasingly dependent on its avionics                                                   aircraft is immune to cyber attacks through
           pability needs and they’re aiming to repeat        rather than on the traditional systems. But                                                 what’s variously called cyber hardening or
           this success, but this time by introducing         what it won’t be is one big data dominated                                                  cyber resilience is being taken seriously and
           greater flexibility.                               midlife refresh. Indeed, that notion is regard-                                             forms part of our plans for the future.”
               Rob says: “It’s not about changing the plat-   ed as being folly.
           form completely, but making a series of refresh-       “Computing power is growing at an expo-
           es to maintain the tactical performance.”          nential rate, so even if we changed all the                                                 WHAT WILL CHANGE LOOK LIKE
               When aircraft from earlier generations         computers today, they’d be old within two                                                       Key candidates for upgrades, enhance-
           went through an update programme, they of-         years — the pace of change is so rapid.                                                     ments and new capabilities will be sensors
           ten came out of it looking a little different      Therefore, rather than focusing exclusively on                                              and weapons.
           than their predecessors. They were given a         new computers, increasing memory and                                                            “Avionics is the area where web technolo-
           new nose job, or perhaps the fin was a differ-     processors, we want to concentrate on how                                                   gy is evolving quickest, and all key sensors are
           ent shape, or maybe the wings were bigger.         we can perform a refresh of the weapon sys-                                                 within avionics. Radar, the DASS (Missile
           But this isn’t going to be the case with the       tem in a way that will allow us to accommo-                                                 warner, laser warner), and the Data Link are
           Eurofighter Typhoon. The airframe with the         date faster insertions of new capability                                                    all sensors and they are all evolving,” says
           engines is fixed because the team who came         throughout its remaining life.”                                                             Rob.
           up with it pretty much aced it from the outset         One thing is for certain, information — in                                                  “We are likely to need more Data Links
           — it’s at its optimum.                             terms of data— is going to be key.                                                          than we have today — covert data links, high
               Eurofighter’s combination of high thrust-          Rob explains: “The rapid evolution in tech-                                             bandwidth data and so on. The Laser
           to-weight ratio, manoeuvrability at all            nology means there’s an expectation that                                                    Designator Pod is a sensor too (though it’s
           speeds, 65,000-foot service ceiling, super-        more information will be exploited by Typhoon                                               equipment that you plug in) and it will have to
           cruise capability, powerful radar and large        in the future. Whether that’s higher band-                                                  interface with the aircraft.
           missile load ensures that it is a world-class      width, more pictures, videos, colour, and so                                                    “The world of sensor development, sensor
           operational fighter aircraft with a reputation     on. Of course, all of this is going to take up                                              exploitation, is often driven by either evolving
           few can rival.                                     more space, and on a fast jet space isn’t                                                   threats, (for example shoulder-mounted mis-
                                                              something you have an unlimited supply of.                                                  siles whose frequencies can be changed
              So why now — what’s driving the activity?           “One key task to look at is how you can get                                             overnight), or because the rules of engage-
           According to the authors of the Long-term          as much information on board as possible, how                                               ment are changing as well as a focus on low
           Evolution initiative there are three main          you use that information in a proactive manner                                              collateral damage and so on. It all comes
           factors:                                           and how you can pass the information to other                                               from sensor information technology, digitised
                                                              users, whether it be in the air or on the ground.                                           information.”
           • Longer service life: Air Forces have             And it’s about doing all this in real time.                                                     With weapons the story is slightly different.
             already expressed an interest in flying              “We will look into opportunities for                                                    What the team is trying to do as part of the ini-
             longer than the original design life of the      increased information flow within the existing                                              tiative is to make weapons easier, cheaper and
             aircraft. The original specification was         space available. This may mean changes to                                                   faster to integrate. They confidently expect
             25 years and 6000 flying hours, but              the avionics architecture to optimise that per-                                             the weapons portfolio to continue to expand,
             Eurofighter Typhoon will comfortably             formance, because we will be working with                                                   even within the Typhoon’s eight-strong
             exceed that. However, now that the               5th gen aircraft, which have their own rules of                                             customer community, as customer require-
             customer wants to fly for longer, the            engagement, and to be able to interoperate                                                  ments are continuously evolving.
             question is how do you enable the jet            with them will mean certain new require-                                                        “In general that means getting smaller
             to do that?                                      ments.                                                                                      weapons rather than bigger weapons and
                                                                  “Arguably, of course, we will also be oper-                                             potentially using multiple weapons on a
           • Evolving threats: As Eurofighter is a top of     ating against military 5th gen threats, which                                               station, so things like Brimstone and the intro-
             the range fighter, the threats it has to deal    will also need a certain methodology and                                                    duction of a Common Weapon Launcher,
             with are evolving too. Hence, it can’t stand     techniques to prevail against.”                                                             which by definition would carry more than one
             still, it needs to evolve as well.                   Understanding how threats may evolve                                                    weapon on that launcher. In essence we’re
                                                              involves a certain amount of crystal ball gaz-                                              moving away from one store per station to
           • Advancing technology: One of the oppor-          ing, but there is a degree of common thinking.                                              multiple stores per station, usually with small
             tunities is not just to introduce new tech-      Speakers at international fighter conferences                                               warheads, all individually targetable, therefore
             nology simply because it’s new or to             often describe a future where aircraft will be                                              the amount of information is multiplied. They
             avoid obsolescence, but to use it in a way       working in congested and contested airspace.                                                could be data driven, they will certainly be
             that enables updates to be carried out               “Our position in industry is if that’s the                                              data hungry and it will be necessary to get
             quickly, cheaply and flexibly.                   customer’s expectation we will continue to                                                  data to the weapon quickly. That’s the sort of
                                                                                                                                                          challenge facing us.” >>
                                                                                                                   Photo by: Jamie Hunter
FIT FOR THE FUTURE - GROSSETO EXCLUSIVE BALTIC AIR POLICING A CHANGING AIR FORCE - Eurofighter Typhoon
18         2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                            EUROFIGHTER                                                                      EUROFIGHTER                         2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD               19

>> EVOLVING THE EUROFIGHTER

               Another area they are looking to address is      WHEN DOES THE PROCESS START?                        PHASE THREE:                                       POTENTIAL FOR VARIANTS
           turnaround times. Rob says: “If you need to          Eurofighter’s Long-term Evolution initiative is     Prioritise and develop the changes with a          To date, the Eurofighter Typhoon has been
           land your jet, refuel, load up your weapons          being forged in three distinct phases:              phased approach. The aim is that some early        developed with what’s nominally a ‘one size
           and get data on them before you take off                                                                 work would commence in parallel with E-scan        fits all’ policy where, in other words, all air-
           again then the transmission of that informa-                                                             radar integration. However, rather than firing     craft can do all things for all their various air
           tion needs to be done quickly. The aim is to         PHASE ONE:                                          a starting gun to change everything, it’s the      forces. But, that may change with the possible
           give the right amount of information to the          This is an analysis of the weapon system as it      start of the iterative process designed to build   arrival of different variants.
           pilot so that he’s got the optimum number of         will be by around 2020-21 with the addition of      in more flexibility.                                   Rob says: “Looking ahead, the aircraft will
           choices available for the weapons on board.          the new capabilities that are already being             Rob adds: “In terms of timings we would        still be able to do what it does today and
           And when the pilot fires them that they’ve got       built into the existing capability road map.        need to work out what would be operationally       more. However, there is the prospect of devel-
           maximum accuracy.”                                   This includes on-contract items like E-Scan         sensible because an air force commander            oping variants as you shouldn’t necessarily
               Also up for discussion is the potential for a    radar, Meteor, Brimstone and Storm Shadow.          won’t want to hand over all their aircraft for     expect all the jets to do all the things, all of
           new cockpit design that would allow the pilot        These give a predictable and reliable baseline.     six months.                                        the time.
           to exploit any new sensors and weapons to            From there the team is investigating the areas          “We will have to phase things in in a man-         “That’s important because, firstly, not all
           their full potential. Initial discussions have al-   that could benefit from technological change.       ner that means customers will still have           the pilots are trained to carry out all the roles,
           ready started on what a prototype would look         The report examines options for the develop-        aircraft on call when they need them, but they     and secondly, if you don’t have to apply a
           like.                                                mental opportunities for the 20 years there-        can rotate those back into industry to carry       modification across an entire fleet it can re-
               Rob says: “Because the cockpit is one of         after.                                              out changes that are appropriate for the role      duce costs.
           the systems on the aircraft and it has a lot of                                                          that the aircraft is going to do, in a manner          “The idea of having different variants is
           equipment in it, it is one of the candidates for     PHASE TWO:                                          that’s also affordable.                            something that’s been happening throughout
           change. This enhancement is being driven by          Start a system definition with the aim of devel-        “Therefore, probably the optimum time for      aviation history. Indeed, even variants are
           the need to ensure mission effectiveness — in        oping the enablers for the key areas of refresh     a refresh will be within the next 10 years.        often further subdivided. So we recognise
           other words the pilot’s situational awareness        that have been identified, including the plan for   That’s based on the time left in service, the      that, while it should still be a multi-role air-
           and decision making. Over time, the existing         development of technology demonstrators.            maturity of evolving technology and the            craft and will continue to be so, there will be
           cockpit configuration will reach its limit, in                                                           exploitation of the roles that the aircraft is     some potential niche roles that a ‘mini-fleet’
           terms of the amount of information a pilot can                                                           expected to perform.                               will be able to fulfil.”
20     2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD     SQUADRON                                                                                                                                                                       SQUADRON                        2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD             21

2,000 HOURS                                                                                                                      F
                                                                                                                                        light Lieutenant Richard Watts — a UK       Captain Jez Attridge, who presented him with          Flt. Lt. Watts joined the RAF in March 1983
                                                                                                                                        Royal Air Force pilot — achieved the        a bespoke 2,000 hours flying patch — the only     and, three years later, was given the opportu-
                                                                                                                                        milestone earlier this year, during a       one of its kind!                                  nity to fulfil his childhood dream when he was
                                                                                                                                 training sortie in a Typhoon from 29(Reserve)           “I have been tremendously fortunate to       posted to 43(Fighter) Squadron at RAF
                                                                                                                                 Squadron at RAF Coningsby.                         have been involved with the Typhoon fleet         Leuchars to fly Phantoms, clocking up nearly
                                                                                                                                     Following the flight, the 55-year-old taxied   since its introduction into RAF service. It has   700 hours.
                                                                                                                                 back in style through a stunning arc of water      been a privilege to observe at close-hand its         In 1989, he transferred to the Tornado F3,

TYPHOON PILOT ACHIEVES                                                                                                           in a salute to his achievement.
                                                                                                                                     He was met by Typhoon Force Commander,
                                                                                                                                 Air Commodore Ian Duguid and RAF
                                                                                                                                                                                    development into the world-class aircraft that
                                                                                                                                                                                    it is today,” he said.
                                                                                                                                                                                         Incredibly, Flt. Lt. Watts also amassed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      where he served for over 15 years on 5, 25,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      29, 56 and 229 Squadrons. He also served
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      five tours on Operation Southern Watch,

NEW MILESTONE                                                                                                                    Coningsby Station Commander, Group                 over 2,000 hours on the Tornado F3, putting
                                                                                                                                                                                    him in a very unique club of fighter pilots
                                                                                                                                                                                    who have achieved this feat on two different
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      enforcing the No-Fly-Zone over Southern Iraq
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      as well as numerous detachments to the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Falkland Islands.
                                                                                                                                                                                    aircraft types.                                       His first exposure to military aviation
                                                                                                                                                                                         He transferred to the Typhoon in 2005,       came in 1966 when he went as a six-year-old
                                                                                                                                                                                    and has served as an Instructor Pilot on 29       to Farnborough Air Show. His love for flying
                                                                                                                                                                                    Squadron for the last 11 years, making him        was cemented during his time attending the
                                                                                                                                                                                    one of the most experienced Typhoon               Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Maidstone
                                                                                                                                                                                    Instructor Pilot in the world.                    Grammar School, where he was fortunate
A pilot has created a piece of Eurofighter Typhoon history after                                                                                                                                                                      enough to receive a Flying Scholarship. He
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      later attended Bristol University, and
becoming the first in the world to reach 2,000 flying hours. >>                                                                                                                                                                       became a keen member of the University Air
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Squadron (UAS).
22    2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD       2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD   23

     Photo by: Dr. Stefan Petersen
24     2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD     AIR POLICING                                    AIR POLICING                 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD              25

GERMAN                                                                                             I
                                                                                                       t’s the third time the German Air Force has
                                                                                                       taken charge of BAP duties. The aircraft
                                                                                                       are part of the Luftwasse´s 74th Tactical

EUROFIGHTERS                                                                                       Air Force Wing, based at Neuburg Air Base in
                                                                                                   Bavaria.

ON PATROL                                                                                              Operating from the Ämari Air Base in
                                                                                                   Estonia, the German Air Force took over the
                                                                                                   role from the UK Royal Air Force.

IN THE                                                                                                 The handover was marked by a ceremony
                                                                                                   at Ämari which was attended by former
                                                                                                   Estonian President Arnold Ruutel, Defence

BALTICS                                                                                            Minister Hannes Hanso, Commander of the
                                                                                                   Estonian defense forces Lt. Gen. Riho Terras,
                                                                                                   Germany's Charge d'Affaires Reinhard
                                                                                                   Wiemer and the RAF Typhoon Force
                                                                                                   Commander, Air Commodore Ian Duguid.
                                                                                                       Defense Minister Hannes Hanso said: "As
                                                                                                   recently as three years ago there were no
                                                                                                   rotating allied troops at Ämari and we were
                                                                                                   living in a totally different security situation.

Germany took over NATO’s Baltic
Air Policing (BAP) mission in
September, with five Eurofighters
from the Tactical Air Wing 74 in
Neuburg, Bavaria deployed to
                                                                                                   Let me assure you that your presence is send-
Estonia. >>                                                                                        ing a strong signal of the unity and adaptabili-
                                                                                                   ty of NATO and we definitive don't see your
                                                                                                   contribution as taken for granted."
                                                                                                       Meanwhile, German and Latvian troops
                                                                                                   recently took part in a joint exercise in Latvia,
                                                                                                   not far from the Russian border, as part of a
                                                                                                   broader initiative by NATO to bolster air
                                                                                                   defences. Germany deployed close to 80
                                                                                                   troops and 400 tonnes of equipment,
                                                                                                   which included a mobile control centre,
                                                                                                   for the exercise.
                                                                                                       Lieutenant General Karl Muellner, chief of
                                                                                                   the German Air Force, said the exercise would
                                                                                                   help German and Latvian troops practice the
                                                                                                   complex interplay of technology, personnel
                                                                                                   and unfamiliar terrain ahead of any potential
                                                                                                   real deployment.
                                                                                                       The joint operations are part of NATO's
                                                                                                   "Persistent Presence" exercise and involve
                                                                                                   Germany's Deployable Control and Reporting
                                                                                                   Centre, which is patrolling a section of Baltic
                                                                                                   airspace using its own and several Baltic
                                                                                                   radars.
                                                                                                       Earlier this year, NATO leaders agreed to
                                                                                                   move four battalions totaling more than 3,000
                                                                                                   troops to the Baltic States and Eastern Poland
                                                                                                   for the first time, and increase air and sea
                                                                                                   patrols.
26    2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD      EUROFIGHTER                                                                    EUROFIGHTER                 2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                      27

SINA
HINTEREGGER                                                                               Photo by: Lucas Pripfl                 Q   & A
                                                                                                                                 WITH
     Sina Hinteregger is a
     Eurofighter Typhoon                                                                                                         SINA
     aircraft mechanic based                                                                                                     HINTEREGGER
     in Zeltweg, Austria. Away
     from work Sina, who was                                                                                                     What attracted you to the role as an aircraft techni-
                                                                                                                                 cian on the Eurofighter?
     born in November 1996,                                                                                                      It’s a job that really appealed to me — I mean how many
                                                                                                                                 people get the opportunity to work on an incredible
     also happens to be one                                                                                                      aircraft like the Eurofighter Typhoon?

     of her nation’s best triath-                                                                                                How did you come to get the role?
                                                                                                                                 I’m lucky because my home town Zeltweg is where the
     letes. She competes in                                                                                                      Austrian air base Fliegerhorst Zeltweg is located, so I knew
                                                                                                                                 a lot about the aircraft. But I was attracted to working as
     both regular and cross                                                                                                      a technician on the Eurofighter because I have always had
                                                                                                                                 a keen interest in technology.
     triathlons, the latter is an
                                                                                                                                 What characteristics do you like best about the
     off-road version of                                                                                                         Eurofighter?
                                                                                                                                 That’s hard to say. From an engineering point of view, I
     triathlon and usually com-                                                                                                  really do find the entire aircraft really fascinating, but I’m
                                                                                                                                 especially interested in the engine.
     bines a 1km swim, a
                                                                                                                                 Is it hard to combine sport with your job?
     20-30km bike ride and a                                                                                                     Yes, unfortunately it is. I work full-time on the Eurofighter
                                                                                                                                                 and therefore I am only able to train for
     6-10km trail run. >>                                                                                                                                       my sports in my free time.

                                                                                                                                                                Where do you see yourself
                                                                                                                                                               in 10 years from now - in
                                                                                                                                                              terms of your sports and
                                                                                                                                                             your job?
                                                                                                                                                            In my job I would like to pursue a
                                                                                                                                                           career in the engine maintenance
                                                                                                                                                           programme of the aircraft. In
                                                                                                                                                          sporting terms, I would like to be
                                                                                                                                                         at world class level in the women’s
                                                                                                                                                        cross triathlon.
                                                  SINA’S HONOURS
                                                                                                                                                        Are there any parallels between
                                                  2016                                                                                                 your sporting life and your career?
                                                  WINTER TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP                                                                 Yes, they both demand a great deal of
                                                  WOMEN ELITE UNDER 23s IN AUSTRIA                                                                   discipline and accuracy.
28     2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD     SQUADRONS                                              SQUADRONS       2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD   29

GROSSETO AIR BASE
A COMMANDING                                    COLONEL MARCO LANT
                                                4th Wing Commander for the
                                                Italian Air Force

VIEW
Colonel Marco Lant is only
one month into his posting as
4th Wing Commander for the
Italian Air Force, but he already
has a unique perspective on
 the work being carried out at
Base Aero Grosseto.
Colonel Lant is in an exceptional
position: on the one hand he’s
the leader of more than 1,000
men and women, and on the
other he’s a ‘student’, part of a
cohort of pilots going through
Eurofighter Typhoon Conversion
Training with the base’s 20th
Squadron. >>
                                                           “THE AIRCRAFT IS AN EXCELLENT MACHINE AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH IT.
                                                           IT REALLY SUITS OUR NEEDS.”
30        2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                             SQUADRONS                                                          SQUADRONS                2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD              31

>> A COMMANDING VIEW

          I
               t’s akin to a Michelin-starred chef being                                                                                           For the new 4th Wing Commander the aim
               served as a customer in his own restaurant                                                                                      is clear: “My main, personal objective is to
               every day. Aside from giving Colonel Lant a                                                                                     allow people to work and achieve results in a
          cockpit view of the capabilities and perfor-                                                                                         coordinated way — to bring everybody on
          mance available from a Typhoon seat, it’s                                                                                            board, try to fulfil our mission.
          allowed him to get under the skin of the base                                                                                            “Around the two squadrons you have all
          and see it from the eyes of a ‘user’, not just a                                                                                     the infrastructure that usually surrounds
          leader.                                                                                                                              flying activity and that brings to the base
               This twin role came about, in part, thanks                                                                                      1,200 people or so working on it. We are very
          to an air force initiative designed to give lead-                                                                                    busy here; busy carrying out deployments; on
          ers contrasting experiences. Immediately                                                                                             other engagements; and our regular commit-
          prior to this posting Colonel Lant was based at                                                                                      ments that we have. The whole wing is active-
          the Logistics Department in the Air Force                                                                                            ly fulfilling a range of different commitments.
          headquarters in Rome for a couple of years.                                                                                              “As wing commander your job is to
          He’d actually started his career as a Tornado                                                                                        manage everything. You are in charge of
          pilot and then spent around 10 years with the                                                                                        everything from the operational part, the
          world-renowned Frecce Tricolori aerobatic                                                                                            logistics through to the administrative with all
          team.                                                                                                                                the paperwork. My goal over the next two
               “I was actually carrying out a totally differ-                                                                                  years is to do this in a coordinated way with-
          ent role before taking up this position, but in                                                                                      out wasting energy, or time — by trying to do
          recent times the Air Force has been trying to                                                                                        this in an efficient way. For me that’s impor-
          put people with different backgrounds in                                                                                             tant. It’s not enough for us to achieve results
          charge of things,” he says. “The thinking is                                                                                         but the way which we achieve them is impor-
          that you will approach the job with fresh ener-                                                                                      tant. You can achieve a result in many ways.”
          gy as well as bringing a different mind-set and                                                                                          The importance of the role is underlined by
          experience to the role. It’s not easy, but I                                                                                         the incredible collection of memorabilia in
          consider myself very lucky, because of my                                                                                            Colonel Lant’s office. It’s a room packed with
          team here. They’re very professional, very well                                                                                      images and symbols that trace the roots of
          prepared and very dedicated. It really is an                                                                                         the 4th Wing to their earliest days. Indeed,
          incredible experience because of all the differ-                                                                                     while the 4th Wing was founded in 1931 — and
          ent aspects, not least the fact that there are                                                                                       the original flag from 1931 is preserved and
          something like 1,200 people here.”                                                                                                   displayed in a special case — its story goes
               The one real gap on his CV was Eurofighter                                                                                      back well before then. Alongside the flag
          Typhoon and that’s what Grosseto is exclu-                                                                                           there’s a picture of Francesco Baracca, Italy’s
          sively about. So about three months prior to                                                                                         World War One fighter ace.
          taking up his command, he joined up with the                                                                                             “Baracca used to fly with the rampant
          rest of the students.                                                                                                                horse insignia (the Cavallino Rampante) on his
               “The funny thing is that I was enrolled in a                                                                                    aircraft in tribute to his former cavalry
          class of guys straight out of the Academy, so                                                                                        regiment and when he became part of the
          there are about 20 years between me and the                                                                                          91st squadron, the insignia became the in-
          rest of the students. At the beginning it was a                                                                                      signia of the squadron. After his death, his
          little bit awkward so I had to straighten things                                                                                     family later gave the same insignia to Ferrari
          out from day one and we had a little talk                                                                                            but with one change — the tail of the horse.
          where I told them: ‘Look, I am just one of you.’                                                                                     We have the original one, the Ferrari one has
               “Getting used to one another was fun, and                                                                                       flipped the tail upwards.
          actually, from a serious point of view, it gave                                                                                          “Next year the 9th squadron will celebrate
          me the opportunity to test the Operational                                                                                           its 100th anniversary. It’s the oldest squadron
          Conversion Unit from a real end user point of                                                                                        in Italy. It actually dates back to the era even
          view: I could see the syllabus right from within                                                                                     before the air force was formed because they
          the system, which has been very valuable.                                                                                            were part of the army. So the whole history of
               “That’s really precious as a commander.                                                                                         the Wing is really fascinating to me.”
          You approach problems and challenges from                                                                                                All around the base there are lots of
          the other side, and from the management side                                                                                         reminders of that rich past with versions of the
          it gives you an idea what the guys go through                                                                                        Cavallino Rampante everywhere. Living up to
          because, after all, together with the QRA                                                                                            such an illustrious lineage must be a challenge
          service, the Conversion Unit is the main                                                                                             for today’s 4th Wing standard bearers. But
          business of the 4th Wing.”                                                           THE 20TH SQUADRON LEADS THE OPERATIONAL         Colonel Lant’s early impression of the work
               The 20th Squadron leads the Operational                                                                                         being carried out is favourable: “I am very
          Conversion Unit for all the Italian Air Force                                        CONVERSION UNIT FOR ALL THE ITALIAN AIR         pleased because the ‘Grosseto’ machine is
          Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. New pilots arrive at                                                                                      working very well and we provide an excellent
          Grosseto from all over Italy and are trained to
          a high level before joining the operational
                                                                                               FORCE EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON FLEET.                service. I knew that people here would be very
                                                                                                                                               busy and I didn’t really need confirmation of
          squadrons. The main mission of the 4th Wing                                                                                          that, but lately, with a number of new commit-
          is the Quick Reaction Alert service — taking                                                                                         ments, it’s been more difficult than ever to
          care of airspace all over northern Italy — which                                                                                     keep up with things. As a new person that’s
          is the job of the 9th Squadron.                             Photo by: Michele Seri                                                   the most difficult part — bringing all the >>
32              2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                           SQUADRONS                                                                                                                                                                                 SQUADRONS             2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD   33

>> A COMMANDING VIEW

                                                                    pieces of the puzzle together and trying to pre-        “From a QRA perspective Typhoon is
                                                                    serve the thing that I believe is the most impor-
                                                                    tant resource — our human resources.”
                                                                        His biggest challenge has been taking in all
                                                                    the information that’s come his way; ‘like
                                                                                                                        perfect for the job because of its performance
                                                                                                                        and information levels.”
                                                                                                                            The next two years will undoubtedly be a
                                                                                                                        busy period for the 4th Wing Commander,
                                                                                                                                                                           LION HEARTS AND
                                                                    trying to drink from a water hose’, is how he
                                                                    describes it.
                                                                        While relatively new to Typhoon, Colonel
                                                                    Lant has already joined the pilot fan club. “The
                                                                    aircraft is an excellent machine and we are very
                                                                                                                        with a number of deployments being planned,
                                                                                                                        which will build on the work already carried
                                                                                                                        out.
                                                                                                                            “Earlier this year we completed our first
                                                                                                                        Red Flag which was a milestone for the
                                                                                                                                                                           BRAIN POWER
                                                                    pleased with it. It really suits our needs. It’s    aircraft and for the fleet because of the logis-
                                                                    very easy to adapt to, even for somebody like       tic endeavour and the operational effort that
                                                                    me, not born and raised around the Eurofighter.     was put into it. This wasn’t Grosseto on its
                                                                    It’s very easy to get used to, and gives you lots   own, it was a whole fleet effort and it was
                                                                    of information — sometimes too much for a           very well managed. We are very pleased with
                                                                    brand new pilot to take in — so again you have      the outcome and we learned a lot. In fact we

                                                                                                                                                                           Y
                                                                    to select the pieces of information that you        are still in the process of exploiting what we            ou can’t fail to notice the Latin motto of   needed to be a Eurofighter pilot go far beyond
                                                                     really need. But it’s a fascinating aircraft and   learned.” >

  B
            ase Aero Grosseto in Tuscany has enjoyed a key                                                                                                                 the very brightest too.
            strategic value for the Italian Air Force for many                                                                                                                 And that’s because the 20th Squadron’s                                 Lt. Col. Morgan,
            years. Its location north of Rome allows today’s                                                                                                               core role is Typhoon training and the skills                              20th Squadron Commander
   QRA pilots from the 9th Squadron to reach all of north-
   ern Italy. But it’s also an ideal home from a training
  Pilots  outbrief too.
   perspective      at the engineering control desk at No 1(F)
  Squadron for their first Paveway IV releases
       “It’s next to the biggest military air space in Italy. All
   of the regular flying areas are pretty much between
   Italy and the islands of Sardinia and Corsica and all of
   the other air bases are there. You can fly supersonic up
   to 60,000 feet,” explains Col. Lant.
       This proximity allows the 4th Wing pilots to join up
   with the other Wings from the Aeronautica Militare,
   team together, then go back to their respective bases
   and review the sorties. The area was used for NATO’s
   major Trident Juncture exercise last year.
       “Our working areas are excellent. We are six miles
   from the sea and we take off sea-bound which means
   the base is conveniently located from an environmental
   view which is important. Flying-wise it’s excellent
   because usually the weather is really nice. In fact,
   Grosseto is named as a standard diversion for all the
   other airfields.
       “Our regular training area sits right above the base.
   It’s limited a little bit height-wise because right above
   us is the terminal area leading into Rome so we have a
   height cap. But we also have the Apennines close by
   for low level work and there are a couple of tactical
   areas very close too so it’s an excellent location
    training-wise. It allows us to carry out different scenar-
   ios very quickly which saves money, time and
   resources and maximises the training output.
       “Partly because of the fact that every Typhoon pilot
   trains here, everybody in the force has a link to
   Grosseto. And there is an excellent relationship be-
   tween me, the other commanders and the Wing itself.”

                                                                                                                                                                           Photo by: Michele Seri
34         2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD                           SQUADRONS                                                                                                                                                                                 SQUADRONS                           2016 • EUROFIGHTER WORLD              35

>> LION HEARTS AND BRAIN POWER

           the entire Italian Air Force. Some 125 pilots           A lot of the flying is carried out at night, as                                                                                                                                                                 Lt. Col. Morgan says: “With the simulators
           have graduated through the 20th Squadron            much as 25 per cent, to ensure the pilots are                                                                                                                                                                   you can create a situation that’s hard to repli-
           since it started working with Typhoon in 2004.      proficient in all the conditions they may come                                                                                                                                                                  cate in a training flight. You can create all
           The unit also carries out training for QWIs         up against in the real world. For the new pilots                                                                                                                                                                sorts of emergency situations, which is obvi-
           (Qualified Weapon Instructors).                     straight out of the academy, the challenge                                                                                                                                                                      ously a plus in training and that’s useful even
               In addition, the squadron is also involved in   tends not to be about handling the flying,                                                                                                                                                                      for the experienced pilots. The simulators also
           the operational evaluation of the weapon            they’re proficient at that, rather it’s coping                                                                                                                                                                  mean we can create more complex scenarios
           system, meaning it gets the first serious look      with all of the information that comes their                                                                                                                                                                    that are not allowed in real flying due to either
           at any upgrades carried out by the industrial       way. Which is why brain power is a prerequi-                                                                                                                                                                    airspace constraints, or cost. You can do
           partners and puts them to the test.                 site.                                                                                                                                                                                                           whatever you want inside there.
               In short, it’s a very busy Squadron, as Lt.         Lt. Col. Morgan says: “They have to have                                                                                                                                                                        “Typically in the transition phase, we will
           Col. Morgan L explains. “We carry out basic         the ability to handle all the data that comes                                                                                                                                                                   have the student in the simulator and the
           training, training for the QWIs and then also       their way in the Typhoon. You have so much                                                                                                                                                                      instructor monitoring the missions from the
           operational evaluation activities for the           information inside the cockpit. You need to                                                                                                                                                                     console. In more complex scenarios, we have
           Typhoon, and we also carry out training for the     know exactly where to find specific informa-                                                                                                                                                                    the student flying the simulator as the wing-
           operational squadrons. So we train the in-          tion, at any time, and know what the quickest                                                                                                                                                                   man and we have the instructor in the other
           structors for the operational squadrons and         way to do or find something is. You have data                                                                                                                                                                   aircraft. We can then ‘fly’ a mission just like
           help pilots get up to the required level of com-    in lots of different places inside the cockpit.                                                                                                                                                                 we do in the real world. Then when we jump
           petence if they’ve been away from flying            So to help them get used to it a lot of the ini-                                                                                                                                                                out of the simulator we carry out the debrief
           duties for any length of time.”                     tial work takes place on the simulator to let                                                                                                                                                                   just as we would if we had flown the
               For new pilots, their basic flying training     them get accustomed to the environment.                                                                                                                                                                         aeroplane in the real world.
           takes place in Lecce or the United States, and          “By the time they come to us their airman-                                                                                                                                                                      “Of course you’re not in real danger but
           in both cases they go through Lecce for their       ship is really good, it’s the capability to handle                                                                                                                                                              after just a few minutes flying the simulator,
           fourth phase training – some train on the           all the data. That’s the problem I had the first                                                                                                                                                                you think exactly like you would be flying a
           MB346, and others on the MB339. But                 time when I flew the aircraft. I came from                                                                                                                                                                       real jet and you only realise that when you
           Typhoon represents a significant step up,           flying F-14 and F-16s and these were a little                                                                                                                                                                   land. Your brain gets immersed in the problem
           hence the need for conversion training, which       bit less complex than this one.”                                                                                                                                                                                solving.”
           is tailored to each individual.                         Senior instructor Lt. Col. Stefano P adds:
               “The syllabus is essentially the same for       “The aircraft is complex but getting used to it
           everybody, but as soon as each student starts       is just a matter of time. When you understand
           the course we assess their individual profi-        how it works and where to find all the informa-
           ciency and then, if they are good enough, we        tion you need, it’s straightforward. The big
           can condense the training by cutting some           difference when compared to older aircraft
           missions,” adds Lt. Col. Morgan.                    was that the pilot was a stick and rudder pilot
               “It’s a performance-based syllabus so, as       but, with Typhoon you are a Weapons System
           long as they gain the required standard at          Manager. The aeroplane flies by itself, you just
           each phase we can push ahead. We have               need to make more focus on the manage-
           almost 10 years’ experience training on the         ment. Basically, it’s like a flying desk, and your
           Typhoon and know when an individual meets           job is to process all the information, and
           the required standard. Once they meet the           handle all the different systems, but, in terms
           requirements or go above that standard we           of flying, the aeroplane flies by itself.”
           push forward with the training.”                        For a student, a typical day in the office
               The course usually lasts around six to          starts three hours in advance of flying. They
           seven months, depending on an individual’s          are given a thorough brief before going off to
           progress, and consists of a number of differ-       the aircraft for the mission. The flight itself
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Senior instructor Lt. Col. Stefano
           ent phases. It starts with the basic transition     typically takes place over an hour and a half.
           to the jet, which prepares the pilots for solo          “What happens during the flight depends
           flying.                                             on the phase of training a student is at. It can
               “This element is aimed at making sure           range from a simple radar-to-radar, intercept                                                                                                                                                                       The mission training mix of live flying and
           they are able to take off, land, and navigate       at medium and high altitude in a relatively                                                                                                                                                                     simulators is split about 50/50. However,
           safely and have the ability to fly in all emer-     easy environment, and then we go down to                                                                                                                                                                        training doesn’t take place exclusively in the
           gency situations. The next stage is Radar           low level. In this timeframe, we also put in                                                                                                                                                                    aircraft or the simulator. The 20th Squadron’s
           Training, then they progress to Basic               some ‘special’ unscripted events that are                                                                                                                                                                       impressive facility also houses a couple of
           Intercepts. These are simple One v One              aimed to improve the skills, perhaps requiring                                                           Photo by: Geoffrey Lee, Planefocus                                                                     conventional classrooms for the students to
           scenarios and from there the pilots move on         a special kind of manoeuvre.                                                                                                                                                                                    study the inner workings of the jet in detail.
           to Quick Reaction Alert training, taking in             “If it’s a special, for example the first of a                                                                                                                                                              There are rows of desks and computers,
           Two vs One intercepts. Towards the end of           particular phase, it’s often flown in a twin-seat                                                                                                                                                               whiteboards and wall charts.
           the course the scenarios get ever more              aircraft, with the instructor in the back seat.       issue. If we talk it’s to improve the feedback     Then we can talk on the ground about what they      period in the whole training phase. It allows          “It’s important for them to have an inti-
           complex, with Many vs Many missions, which          The instructor isn’t there to intervene, they         and quality of training the student will gain      might do in the future. That’s the way it works.”   instructors to give the pilots feedback and for    mate understanding of what they are flying
           can consist of anything up to four aircraft         just try to stay quiet and let the student make       from the mission.                                     All the planning and the flying builds up to     students to add to their understanding.”           and what’s under the skin of the aircraft,”
           against many others.                                mistakes and then see how they are able to                “We try to let them fly the aeroplane alone.   one key session. The debrief.                           The facility has two full mission simulators   says Lt. Col. Stefano.
               “Every mission is a building block. We          handle those mistakes. We observe. We look            If, for example, they make a mistake, they            “Everything is done at the debrief. We           which are linked and can work on a network,            This underscores their need for more than
           become progressively more and more                  at the timeframe that goes between a mistake          might find a solution I would not necessarily      replay the mission through our systems, and         which is a big advantage for training, because     lions. Welcome to the world of 20th Squadron,
           advanced, it’s all designed to improve the          and a correction and, basically, we don’t             have adopted in that situation but, as long as     we may focus on a particular error and then         it allows the instructors to simulate two-ship     where lion hearts combine with brain power to
           skills of the student.”                             touch the aeroplane unless there is a safety          they find a safe solution, that’s good enough.     propose a solution. This is the most crucial        (two aircraft) environments.                       produce Italy’s finest.
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