Eurofighter Typhoon’s flight tests with Storm Shadow

Eurofighter’s partner company Alenia Aermacchi has announced that the first in a major series of flight tests to integrate the MBDA Storm Shadow missile onto Eurofighter Typhoon, have commenced. Initial flight trials to demonstrate that the missile can be safely carried started on 27 November, at the Alenia Aermacchi Flight Test Centre Decimomannu Air Base, in Sardinia, Italy, with the support of Eurofighter Partner Companies, BAE Systems and Cassidian.

The intensive flight test programme began with flutter tests and an air data system large store interference assessment, using Instrumented Production Aircraft 2 (IPA2) updated to the Phase 1 Enhancement standard. The Storm Shadow, already in service with the Italian Air Force and Royal Air Force Tornados, is a

conventionally armed, stealthy, long-range stand-off precision weapon designed to neutralise high value targets. The new weapons systems will add the capability to strike by day or night in all-weather conditions, against well-defended infrastructure targets such as port facilities, control centres, bunkers, missile sites, airfields and bridges that would otherwise require several aircraft and missions.