Airbus to Offer Tranche 5 Eurofighter to Germany

Eurofighter Production in Germany Set to End in 2030

Tranche 5 to Feature Advanced Radar and Defensive Aids

Airbus has announced plans to offer a Tranche 5 standard of the Eurofighter combat aircraft to replace Germany's fleet of Panavia Tornados.

According to current planning, production of the Eurofighter in Germany will come to an end in 2030 with the delivery of the last Tranche 4 aircraft.

The Tranche 5 standard will feature the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, also known as E-Scan, as well as improved defensive aids.

A Eurofighter mockup parked in the exhibition area of ILA Berlin also displayed a special tail that prominently mentioned Eurofighter.

The offer from Airbus comes as Germany seeks to replace its aging fleet of Tornados, which have been in service since the 1980s.

The Tranche 5 Eurofighter is expected to offer significant advantages over the Tranche 4 version, including enhanced situational awareness, improved air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities, and reduced maintenance requirements.

If Airbus' offer is accepted, Germany would become the first country to operate the Tranche 5 Eurofighter.