Berlin, June 8 (IANS) Leading European aerospace consortium Eurofighter GmbH showcased its Eurofighter cockpit demonstrator and a replica of its Typhoon medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) along with its powerful EJ200 engines at the Berlin international air show (ILA 2010) here.
EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V.) test pilot Geri Krahenbuhl flew the Typhoon at the opening ceremony of the six-day trade fair Tuesday, demonstrating its air prowess with breathtaking maneouvres over the Schonefeld airport on the outskirts of this German capital.
‘Typhoon is the biggest industrial programme in Europe, comprising four core customers – Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain – and employs about 100,000 skilled workers from across these nations,’ Eurofighter spokesman Marco Valerio Bonelli told IANS here.
With 707 aircraft on order, over 220 aircraft have been delivered to six nations since 2004.
Eurojet, the sister concern of Eurofighter, which manufactures the jet engines for Typhoon, is also showcasing its aero engines and other products at this sprawling expo.
‘Berlin is a key air show for us, as we are able to present to the public a matured Eurofighter product, highlighting how the investment of tax-payers’ money into the programme has created the world’s best combat aircraft,’ Eurofighter chief executive Enzo Casolini told a visiting media team from India.
As the new generation real multi-role/swing-role combat aircraft, Typhoon is in service with air forces of six nations – Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain, Austria and Saudi Arabia.
With 707 aircraft under contract, it is Europe’s largest military collaborative programme and delivers leading-edge technology, strengthening Europe’s aerospace industry in the global competition. More than 100,000 jobs in 400 companies are secured by the programme.
The Eurofighter programme is executed jointly by four partner firms — Alenia Aeronautica/Finmeccanica in Italy, BAE Systems in Britain, EADS CASA in Spain and EADS Deutschland in Germany under the 88-billion euro consortium.
