ILA 2026 – New fighting systems for Eurofighter
The German Air Force Eurofighter parked in the Airbus static display is the only fixed wing platform on exhibition and it has several new systems on show
Airbus continues to add potency to the Eurofighter, and at ILA we could see just that with the new Rafael Litening 5 targeting pod, Spice 250 precision guided munitions and KEPD 350 Taurus cruise missile, all being exhibited.
While the RAF is already operating the Litening 5 system on its Typhoons, none of the other three partners are but that should change by 2029. The pod allows pilots to detect, identify, and track targets from distances exceeding 60 miles (100 km), keeping the aircraft safely out of range of many ground-based threats. The RAF has used it successfully in Operation Shader from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The German Air Force has ordered 90 Litening 5 pods to replace its older Litening III systems. According to Airbus, the desire from the customers – Germany, Italy, and Spain – is to fulfil this need as soon as possible.
The Spice 250, seen for the first time alongside the Eurofighter, is an advanced, autonomous, air-to-ground precision glide bomb developed by Rafael, that is being integrated to provide long-range, fire-and-forget stand-off strike and Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities. The weapons are intended for the upcoming Eurofighter EK (Electronic Combat) aircraft, that will replace the Tornado ECR fleet in 2030.
The Saab Arexis EW system will also be part of the Eurofighter EK. An Airbus spokesman told EDR On-Line that the kits (there are 15 on order) are still in production in Sweden and will be shipped to Saab Nürnberg, where they will be assembled and transported to the Eurofighter production line at Manching, Germany, and integrated within the next two years.
The Praetorian DASS P4E is also set to go into the new Eurofighters, but there is no contract to upgrade existing platforms with any updated Praetorian system. An Airbus spokesman said that it is a customer decision, and as far as Airbus knows there are no plans to do that.
The MBDA Deutschland KEPD 350 Taurus is currently operational on the Fleet of Panavia Tornados which is set to be retired around 2030, which is leading Airbus to integrate the upgraded Taurus Neo onto Tranche 4 Eurofighters by 2029.
Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft are now the future for Eurofighter operations. With Airbus keen to kick start what is termed unmanned-manned teaming, it has teamed up with Kratos, to develop the XQ-58A Valkyrie. A proven CCA, wearing the ‘ET’ tail code, indicating it is operated by the USAF’s 40th Flight Test Squadron based at Eglin AFB, Florida, was on display.
Airbus will integrate an Airbus mission system, and connectivity. An Airbus spokesman said: “This is the quickest solution to creating combat mass, and the Eurofighter will need to steer the collaborative combat aircraft deep into enemy territory. In the beginning the U740 Valkyrie, as it is called by Airbus, will be tasked for air to ground mission, with some intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability, but there will be further versions for air-to-air and electronic warfare.”
Ultimately the XQ-58A is a stepping stone to integrating a European CCA that will pose no sovereignty challenges.
Photos by A. Warnes
