Eurofighter EF - 2000 Typhoon The Eurofighter Typhoon is a multi - role strike fighter aircraft , which has recently entered service with the British Royal Air Force . Built by Eurofighter GmbH ( Alenia Aeronautica , BAE Systems and EADS ) , and managed by NETMA , the twin - engine multi - role canard - delta fighter is actually aerodynamically unstable , and totally relies on its quadruplex digital fly - by - wire control system to make the massive amount of minute adjustments necessary to keep it in the sky . No manual system could compensate for its instability , and so the pilot is actually electronically restricted to executing manoeuvres which are possible . Description . The Typhoon will be the new hunting trapping many European countries , starting with its builders , England , Italy , Spain , Germany . And has also been commissioned by Saudi Arabia and Austria . Typhoon will assume the position of several fighter aircraft , among them the Panavia Tornado IDS / F - 3 , F - 4F Phantom German , Italian F104 Starfighter and Mirage F - 1 Spanish , and it gives you an idea of the responsibility that this new fighter will have to carry on their backs . This plane suffered heavy political and financial obstacles during its development since its cell value is very salty and is around U . S . $ 120 , 000 , 000 . 00 per unit . But the storm has passed since this fighter came into service in six countries mentioned earlier . The Typhoon was designed for high maneuverability and high rate of power to do well in closed aerial combat , and is also equipped to overcome his enemies in combat beyond visual range ( BVR ) , through its ECR - 90 radar that is capable to attack four targets simultaneously with AIM - 120 AMRAAM missiles or the new Meteor missile which has a range of + 100 km . The ECR - 90 has a maximum range of 370 km against large targets such as AWACS aircraft or 175 km against fighter - sized target . After all it is worth noting that the ECR - 90 radar is scanning mechanically and radar today , but there is an Anglo - French program for the development of an active electronically scanned antenna ( AESA ) that will be used by the Typhoon and the French Rafale version in the future F - 3 . This new antenna is being developed within the program AMSAR , which will give a better ability to fight both fighters as an increased ability to engage multiple attack that could reach eight targets simultaneously . Besides the radar , is also installed a Pirate IRST system for passive detection and target designation for weapons , similar to those fitted on Russian fighters and rafale . This is an important detection system as it allows to detect any enemy with stealth technology that may arise . Furthermore , this system can be used in close combat by giving reference to the firing of missiles off boresight . The Pirate is integrated into the driver ' s helmet , as the Russian fighters , need only look at the target , select and fire the missile . In the closed air combat weapons that can be used by the Typhoon are the missiles AIM - 9 L / M Sidewinder or new missile IRIS - T and Asrai capable of engaging targets that are 90 degrees from the tail of the enemy . The Typhoon is a multipurpose aircraft and weapons that carries air land as well . And among the more interesting weapons , the missile is brimstone , which is a missile - based air - ground Hellfire American and can be used against vehicles and fortified targets at a range of up to 12 km . Beyond that the Typhoon missile can be armed with anti - missile radar Alarm which are guided by radar waves of the enemy . The extent of the Alarm is 45 km . The brand new Storm Shadow cruise missile is another asset of the Typhoon . This missile has a warhead of 450 kg of high explosive " ( HE ) to a range of 250 km . The internal armament is the powerful Typhoon Mauser BK - 27 cannon , 27 mm , the same type as used in the JAS - 39 Gripen fighter . This gun gets a rate of fire of about 1700 rounds per minute , and the Typhoon carries 150 shots . " " The propulsion of the Typhoon is made by two engines Eurojet EJ - 200 , which is a maximum thrust of 9000 kgf , with afterburners , with buoyancy and 6000 kgf dry . This modern engine , its development was done in parallel with development of the Typhoon . When the first prototype of the Typhoon was ready , the engines had not yet been delivered , over the same turbine being installed in this prototype of the Tornados , the RB - 199 , to begin testing . " The Typhoon represents a breakthrough in air combat ability of European countries , and most importantly is that this is a European solution to a need in Europe . Europe has been highly dependent on weapons systems of North America which ends up resulting in solutions , not always ideal for the needs of defense , and that the influence of U . S . policy in the manner they have been after War , has raised questions increasingly serious by the authorities of the old continent .