The Eurofighter Typhoon is back! With renewed optimism invigorated by new orders, the European fighter jet programme is ready to deliver future platforms to new customers. Within this blog we consider the significance of prospective sales to the UK market and the contribution GRiD can provide to this important and strategic European programme.
Image shows II(AC) Sqn Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, during takeoff at 22 Tactical Air Base, Malbork, while deployed on Op CHESSMAN. OGL (Open Government License)
The Eurofighter has been making headlines again this year, with the 4th-generation fighter aircraft seemingly coming back into vogue as countries increase defence spending.
In October 2025, it was announced that Germany would purchase 20 new examples of the Eurofighter to partly replace its Tornado fleet, and supplement an additional 38 ordered to replace its legacy Tranche 1 Eurofighter fleet.
In the same month, the Republic of Türkiye and the UK also signed a significant £8bn deal for 20 new Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. This purchase will add more aircraft to the 729 current orders and contribute to the aircraft’s operational life beyond 2060. The Eurofighter consortium’s key players are Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.
The swing-role combat platform is currently operated by nine air forces across the world. It is in service with five European nations (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and four nations in the Arabian Gulf (Kuwait, Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar).
The UK-Türkiye contract comes eight years since the last UK export order, a purchase by Qatar for 24 aircraft in a multi-billion-pound deal led by prime BAE Systems.
This recent news is welcomed as great success for UK exports and, according to the British government, will secure over 20,000 jobs. It signals confidence in British industry, and the defence market of which GRiD Defence Systems plays an integral role in delivering high-end capabilities to primes and suppliers throughout the country.
On the UK-Türkiye deal, Defence Secretary John Healey MP said in a UK Ministry of Defence release: “This is another major export deal for the UK and is the biggest jet exports deal in a generation. It will pump billions of pounds into our economy and keep British Typhoon production lines turning long into the future.”
Eurofighter: a history
The Eurofighter’s story began four decades ago with the first technology demonstrator being built in Warton, Lancashire, in the 1980s, which fell under the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP). The EAP demonstrator informed many of the future decisions for the Eurofighter (known then as the European Fighter Aircraft programme), especially in terms of avionics, materials, engine power, and aerodynamics.
The Eurofighter was intended as a light, twin-turbofan engined, single-seater fighter that was optimised for Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and close-range air-to-air (A2A) combat, with the pacing threat of the day being the fighters and bombers of the Soviet Union. In the years’ since, the Eurofighter – known as the Typhoon in British service – has taken on additional roles, mostly as a result of the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of non-state threats and the consolidation of air force fleets.
Now under the designation Typhoon FGR4 in Royal Air Force service, the aircraft is capable of aerial reconnaissance and striking ground targets with munitions such as the Paveway IV, Brimstone and Storm Shadow cruise missiles. These were extensively deployed in the Middle East, including during Op ELLAMY in Libya and Op SHADER fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Powered by two EJ200 engines, developed by EUROJET Turbo (formed of Rolls Royce, MTU, Avio, and ITP), the Eurofighter can reach speeds of Mach 1.6 and altitudes up to 55,000ft. Despite now being a legacy 4th generation fighter aircraft, the capabilities of the Typhoon are still significant and its multi-role capabilities makes it a true ‘swiss-army knife’ among today’s fighter aircraft.
What is GRiD’s role on combat aircraft?
More than 400 companies across Europe are integral in the Eurofighter consortium that support the delivery of the platform, and GRiD is proud to be one of those industrial partners. GRiD supports air combat operations for fighter jets primarily by providing rugged, highly configurable laptops and systems designed for both flight-line and in-air applications.
The core of this support revolves around avionics interfacing and providing a durable, all-in-one computing solution for harsh and complex military environments. For example, the GRiDCASE 1595 rugged laptop can function as Ground Support Equipment and for Mission Planning Systems. This is critical for fighter jet operations on the ground as GRiD hardware can connect directly to a fighter jet’s systems via common military avionics data buses, including MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, or STANAG 3910.
Image shows Royal Air Force engineers from II(AC) Sqn, performing maintenance on a Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 on the 24th of June 2025, at 22 Tactical Air Base, Malbork Poland. OGL (Open Government License).
The technology can be used for essential tasks like mission data loading onto the aircraft, systems analysis, and test and measurement of onboard systems, including sensors and protection systems. Furthermore, the GRiDCASE 1595 is used by technicians to set up and test complex systems like the Full Authority Digital Engine Control, which is a feature of the EJ200s.
The physical design of GRiD’s hardware, especially the GRiDCASE 1595 rugged laptop, is built for the harsh aerospace environment. The computers are fully sealed (for EMC and environmental sealing – IP rated), conductively cooled, and built into a robust aluminium chassis to withstand extreme temperatures, dust, water, and vibration (MIL-STD-810 compliant).
GRiD takes a highly-flexible ‘Modified Off-The-Shelf’ approach, offering a fully customisable rear connector panel to incorporate any interface, expansion card (like PCI/PCIe for custom test modules), or connector required for specific avionics systems.
By offering TEMPEST (protecting against electromagnetic eavesdropping) and ATEX (cleared for use in explosive atmospheres) qualifications this ensures safe and secure operation in sensitive flight-line areas.
While primarily used on the ground, the rugged nature and connectivity support various roles vital to air combat, such as testing guided weapons. GRiD laptops have been selected by organisations like the U.S. Department of Defense for use in Guided Missile Launcher Test Sets to test advanced air-to-ground missiles. GRiD’s computers have also been used within the cockpit of high-performance military aircraft, once again showing their reliability and flexibility.
The GRiD Approach
GRiD has a long heritage in supporting fighter programmes, and is ready to support and deliver the capabilities required for the next evolution of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme. Further commitment from allies towards the fighter jet means a secure future not only for the programme but for the 100,000-plus skilled workers across Europe – with over a fifth based in the UK, including the GRiD workforce.
If you want to learn more about GRiD’s product range, please see here, or if you would like to discuss how GRiD can support your operations or upcoming requirements in more detail, please get in touch sales@griduk.com.
