Timeline of the Eurofighter Typhoon

This is the timeline of the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, a multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers, Eurofighter GmbH, formed in 1983.

1970s

 * 1972
 * Royal Air Force (RAF) issues Air Staff Target 396 (AST-396), a requirement for a STOVL aircraft to replace the Harrier and Jaguar fleets.
 * AST-403, specification revised for an air superiority fighter. STOVL requirement dropped and AST-409 lead to the development of Harrier GR5.
 * Mid-1970s
 * France, Germany and the UK initiate the European Combat Aircraft (ECA) programme.
 * 1979
 * Following differing requirements (particularly French requirement for carrier compatibility,) BAe and MBB propose the European Combat Fighter (ECF)

1980s

 * 1981
 * Development of different national prototypes and continued differences over specification lead to cancellation of ECF programme.
 * Panavia partners (Germany, Italy and UK) launch Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) programme. Following failure of Germany and Italy to fund development the UK MoD pays £80m prototype, the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP).
 * 1983
 * May - contract for production of EAP prototype signed.
 * The UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain launch Future European Fighter Aircraft (F/EFA) programme. Aircraft to have short take off and landing (STOL) and beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities.
 * 1984
 * France reiterates requirement for carrier capable version. The UK, Germany and Italy opt out and establish new EFA programme.
 * 1985
 * France officially withdraws, commences ACX project.
 * 27 October - EAP demonstrator rolled out at BAe Warton.
 * 1986
 * June - Eurofighter GmbH established.
 * 8 August - EAP makes its first flight, piloted by David Eagles. Configuration closely matches final Eurofighter design.
 * Rolls-Royce, MTU Aero Engines, FiatAvio (now Avio) and ITP form EuroJet Turbo GmbH for development of EJ200.
 * 1988
 * 23 November - contracts signed for production of demonstrator engines and airframes.

1990s

 * 1990
 * EuroRADAR formed for development of ECR-90 (CAPTOR) radar.
 * 1991
 * 1 May - last flight of EAP demonstrator.
 * 1992
 * EuroDASS formed for development of defensive aids sub system (DASS.) Initially only UK and Italy participate. When Eurofighter enters service only RAF aircraft will exploit all capabilities of DASS.
 * July - Germany announces intention to withdraw from the DASS element. Negotiations begin to reduce costs. As a single engine aircraft is ruled out Germany decides to fit cheaper systems, e.g., F/A-18's APG-65 in place of ECR-90, and delay its service entry by two years. Germany eventually participates in all systems.
 * December - renamed Eurofighter 2000.
 * 1994
 * 27 March - maiden flight of first development aircraft, DA1 from DASA at Manching with Rolls Royce Spey engines.
 * 6 April - maiden flight of second development aircraft, DA2 from BAe Warton. DA2 also flew with RB199s.
 * 1995
 * 4 June - maiden flight of Italian DA3, the first with EJ200 engines.
 * 1996
 * 31 August - Spanish DA6 becomes the first two-seater to fly.
 * 1997
 * 27 January - first flight of DA7 from Turin.
 * 24 February - maiden flight of German DA5, first aircraft to be fitted with ECR-90.
 * 14 March - maiden flight of UK's DA4, the second two-seater and last of the seven development aircraft.
 * 1998
 * January - first aerial refuelling trials, involving DA2 and an RAF VC10 tanker.
 * 30 January - NETMA and Eurofighter GmbH sign production and support contracts for 620 aircraft.
 * September - "Typhoon" name adopted, announced as strictly for export contracts. There is some controversy as the last aircraft to bear the name was the Hawker Typhoon, a World War II aircraft.
 * 18 December - Tranche 1 contract signed.
 * 1999
 * Eurofighter International established as single contracting-management company to handle all export sales.

2000s

 * 2000
 * 8 March - first export sale, 60 ordered and 30 options by Greece (but delayed, maybe cancelled).
 * 16 May - UK commits to MBDA Meteor BVRAAM, leading to significant benefits for export prospects.
 * 7 July - DA2 emerges from ten month stand down with latest avionics. Finished in black (see below) to reduce cosmetic effect of 490 pressure transducers applied to airframe.
 * 2002
 * 5 April - Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA2) makes maiden flight from Turin.
 * 11 April - IPA 3 makes maiden flight from EADS Military Aircraft, Manching, Germany.
 * 15 April - IPA 1 makes maiden flight from BAE Warton.
 * 2 July - Austria announces acquisition of 24 Typhoons, later reduced to 18.
 * 23 July - "Typhoon" name officially adopted as in-service name by four partner nations.
 * 21 November - DA6, flying out of Getafe, crashes. Twin engine failure is blamed.
 * 2003
 * 13 February - first series production aircraft, GT001 flies from Manching. This is the first of Germany's 180 aircraft.
 * 14 February - in the space of just over an hour Italy's IT001 and Britain's BT001 make their maiden flights.
 * 17 February - Spain's ST001 flies from EADS Military Aircraft, Getafe, Spain.
 * 30 June - "type acceptance" signed, marking formal delivery of aircraft to the partner nations.
 * October - integration of Meteor begins.
 * 2004
 * 27 June - two RAF Typhoon T1s depart UK for Singapore for marketing and training.
 * 15 December - UK confirms purchase of second batch of 89 aircraft, the last nation to commit to "Tranche 2" production of 236 aircraft.
 * 2005
 * April - Singapore drops the Typhoon from its shortlist to supply the country's next generation fighter.
 * 16 December - the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) declares the Typhoon's initial operational capability and sets it on quick reaction alert from Grosseto Air Base.
 * 21 December - Saudi Arabia agrees to a purchase of an unspecified number of Typhoons with the UK Ministry of Defence.
 * 2006
 * January - first AMI operational squadron formed.
 * February - first operational mission undertaken by the Italian Air Force as Eurofighter Typhoon defends the airspace over Turin during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
 * 31 March - first RAF operational squadron formed.
 * 18 August - announcement of Saudi Arabia signing a contract to buy 72 planes from the UK.
 * 3 October - 100th production aircraft delivered.
 * 2007
 * 12 July - the first Eurofighter for Austria is delivered to the Austrian Air Force.
 * 2008
 * 16 January - the first Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoon makes its first flight.
 * 22 October - first flight of Typhoon in Royal Saudi Air Force livery.
 * 2009
 * 12 June - first Saudi Typhoons delivered.
 * 25 November - 200th Typhoon delivered.

2010s

 * 2010
 * 24 August - a Spanish Eurofighter crashes in Spain, killing a Saudi pilot
 * 22 December - 250th Typhoon delivered.
 * 2012
 * 21 December - Oman orders 12 Eurofighter Typhoons.
 * 2013
 * 4 December - 400th Typhoon delivered.
 * 2014
 * 12 December - First full trial installation of Brimstone missile.
 * 2016
 * 5 April - Kuwait orders 28 Eurofighter Typhoons.
 * 13 July - Flights trials of E-Scan radar begin on Eurofighter Typhoon.
 * 2017
 * 11 April - 500th Typhoon delivered.

2020s

 * 2020
 * November 2020 - Germany ordered 30 single-seater and 8 twin-seater new Tranche 4 fighters for 5.4 billion euro. The contract for new Tranche 4 versions is to replace Tranche 1 versions currently in service. The latest order from Germany secures production of Eurofighter Typhoon until 2030.