Aircraft
Details Emerge on UK’s Tornado-Typhoon Capability Transition
But the vital RAPTOR reconnaissance pod cannot be transferred from the retiring jets.
A British Eurofighter Typhoon has been fitted with Storm Shadow missiles on underwing weapons stations, but final integration could still be two years away. (Photo: BAE Systems)
A British Eurofighter Typhoon has been fitted with Storm Shadow missiles on underwing weapons stations, but final integration could still be two years away. (Photo: BAE Systems)

BAE Systems has provided further reassurance that the Eurofighter Typhoons serving with the UK Royal Air Force (RAF)can fully take over the ground-attack and strike roles from the service’s Tornado fleet, which is due to be retired by March 2019. The company is promising “a seamless transition of capability from Tornado to Typhoon by the end of 2018.” But one key RAF Tornado capability is not scheduled for transfer— the Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for TORnado (RAPTOR)—even though it is currently providing vital imagery over Iraq and Syria to the coalition partners engaged in Operation Inherent Resolve.