Defence minister praises Typhoon at RAF Fairford

Defence minister praises Typhoon at RAF Fairford

Versatile, reliable and key to strengthening UK defence: this is how the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft was described by Harriett Baldwin MP, the UK minister for defence procurement, during a presentation at the 2017 Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire recently.

Typhoon has been plenty busy in 2017 after debunking Daesh in the Middle East, warding off the Russian threat in Eastern Europe and safeguarding the Falkland Islands 35 years after the invasion, all while providing an all-year-round reaction alert to defend British skies.

The past few years have seen Typhoon be upgraded with cutting-edge weapons while a £9.5 million contract will train Britain’s Typhoon pilots to use the latest cockpit technology, preparing them for the frontline up to September 2020.

Mrs Baldwin outlined the Typhoon’s reliability by pointing out that it has an engine that can rack up more than 1,000 flying hours without needing unscheduled maintenance.

"It’s versatile as well,” she adds, “simultaneously supporting air-to-air and air-to surface missions. It gives Britain global coverage because today, we know that our Typhoons are all over the world.

She concluded: “Why do we in the UK so value this aircraft? Why do we choose the world’s most powerful and reliable swing-role combat aircraft? I think you can see that the question answers itself."