The German government has approved the purchase of 38 new Eurofighters that will replace the German Air Force fleet of Tranche 1 aircraft as part of the country’s Quadriga project.
The latest standard Tranche 3 Eurofighters, featuring the E-scan radar and updated software, are expected to be delivered by the Eurofighter consortium by 2025.
Worth noting is that officials are often referring to Quadriga aircraft as Tranche 4 Eurofighters, while a German defense ministry photo appears to confirm Tranche 4 as the official codification.
According to previously-shared information regarding the Quadriga project, the 38 fighters will include 7 twin seater and 31 single seater aircraft.
According to a Reuters report, the 38 Eurofighters will come with a price tag of around $6.35 billion.
“We are delighted that the German parliament has announced its commitment to the German Air Force Tranche 1 replacement program,” Herman Claesen, CEO of Eurofighter GmbH, commented.
“Securing Quadriga is excellent news for the entire Eurofighter enterprise. We look forward to signing a contract with our customer in the near future.”
In addition to the 38-unit purchase, Germany is planning to buy an additional 55 units as part of a broader plan to replace the German Air Force’s Tornado fleet.
This plan envisions the purchase of Eurofighter aircraft and another 45 Boeing-built F/A-18 Super Hornet jets. 30 Super Hornets would be capable of delivering air-launched nuclear weapons, a mission currently assigned to German Air Force Panavia Tornado aircraft, while 15 EA-18G Growlers would take over the electronic warfare role that is also currently carried out by the PA-200 Tornado.
Germany is currently also in the process of developing a new active electronic scanning array (AESA) radar for the Eurofighter. German sensor system supplier Hensoldt is leading that undertaking in cooperation with Airbus.
