First Typhoon was delivered today to Austria.

[tigershark]

All earlier delivered aircraft will be upgraded to the Block 5 standard under the Retrofit R2 programme, with 16 aircraft currently undergoing this modification process.   Does this mean their getting the upgraded models?   I thought that there a problem here and Austria were getting a cut down order and a early model?   The first story isn't even that old, did something change in a weeks time?   In the first story I quote - Austria will only receive so-called “Tranche 1”  Is Block 5 standard Tranche 1 or 2 ? 

the 1st story - A no-confidence vote brought by opposition parties 7-5-07
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2880291&C=europe

2nd story -Eurofighter Typhoon Delivered To Five Nation 7-12-07
http://www.eurofighter.com/news/20070712AuHo.asp

[Globetrotter]

what are they gonna do with the leased F-5? Take them back to Switzerland? And the swiss? I think i've heard they were near the end of their useful life I remember that cause I heard the Patrouille Suisse was also gonna lose its Beautiful! painted f'5s

[tigershark]

Don't know about the F-5s I assume they must be a little long in the tooth by now age and hour wise.  There are still F-5 users who I think would take them if the price was right.   

From what I found out about these Typhoon's is there all Tranche 1 and a number of them are ex-German models.  Meaning there used and don't have the latest updated and some gear stripe out of them.    From the outside it seems like they cut the deal to save money but in the end if might cost more because of what the jets lack and/or future needed upgrades?   

What are Austria air force needs it seems like a small country were Typhoon's the correct choice to bring with? 

Thanks in advance if somebody can find out more details on this.

[Webmaster]

Please see our latest special on this subject: http://www.milavia.net/specials/austria-first-eurofighter/index.htm

Regarding the revised contract see: http://www.milavia.net/news/2007/austria-and-eurofighter-agree-on-revised-contract.html

Production standard block 5, yep Tranche 1, they would have been upgraded to block 8 under the previous contract. Now the aircraft are left without BVRAAM, self defense suite and other Tranche 2 stuff...

From the outside it seems like they cut the deal to save money but in the end if might cost more because of what the jets lack and/or future needed upgrades?   

Well yes, but the socialist party currently in power originally wanted to cancel to contract and promised a cheaper alternative. So they had to do something to save money in order to please the voters.

What are Austria air force needs it seems like a small country were Typhoon's the correct choice to bring with?

Air Surveillance / Air Defense, like Helmut (the author of our latest article) told me, nobody wanted the Drakens until they had armed MiGs violating their airspace from Slovenia in 1991...they had only guns, Sidewinders were bought after this. You need to be able to police your air space. You never know what will happen in 10 years time.

The Gripen would have been a better option in hindsight, now they "degraded" their Typhoons capability. It's still a potent and powerful fighter though... and any other jet, although cheaper, may also have gotten nothing more than a gun and a couple of Sidewinders as teeth.

About the F-5s, they probably have some time left if you look at the Swiss Hawks, they were sold to Finland with half of their life left. Previously Swiss F-5s have been sold back to the USA, which needed them for their aggressor fleet. Ex-Saudi F-5s are also on the market, and I think Brazil was in the process or has bought them. Anyway there's still market, but come on, we'll have enough F-5s around and they sell for peanuts anyway.