Supportable

To reverse the trend of ever increasing through-life support costs, and to demonstrate absolute commitment to cost of ownership, Industry was contracted to give equal priority to Operational Performance and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) from the outset of the programme.

This holistic approach to the operation and support of the total weapon system has resulted in an aircraft that demonstrates and surpasses all previous maintenance expectations.

To minimise the Eurofighter Typhoon Weapon System''s Life Cycle Cost (LCC) over a minimum in-service life of 25 years/6,000 Flying Hours (FH) per aircraft, the Air Staffs of the Air Forces of Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom required:

''Performance, reliability, maintainability, flight safety and timescales to be given equal priority during all phases of the Programme.''

They also required Eurofighter Typhoon to show significant improvements in availability, mission effectiveness and operating costs, in comparison with previous combat aircraft. All these factors combine to make ILS aspects a priority.

An estimated 5,000 man-years of combined effort from the four industrial partners and the customers' air forces have developed from the outset a support system that meets the demanding requirements of the modern air force.

Eurofighter Typhoon has been designed for ease of support over its full service life, and will deliver high operational availability together with low cost of ownership. Swing-role capability coupled with unprecedented reliability, low levels of maintenance and a vastly reduced logistics tail, enhances aircraft availability and lethality and permits rapid deployment worldwide.

• Supportable
• Deployable
• Affordable
• Available

Supportable

The extensive use of prognostic and Built-In Test equipment and high weapon system reliability, together with a low requirement for scheduled maintenance, has reduced maintenance man-hours to less than half that required on other combat aircraft in-service.