The British Eurofighter Typhoon (Tranche 3A) is a fourth-generation multirole fighter that originally emerged from the Royal Air Force’s requirement for a next-generation air-superiority fighter to replace the ageing Panavia Tornado ADV. The first Tranche 3A aircraft was delivered in 2012, with the focus of the upgrade being the transition from an ageing mechanical radar to the new CAPTOR-E Mk 0 AESA radar, and the addition of more advanced avionics and electronic warfare equipment. However, the RAF has not ordered the next-generation Tranche 4 or Tranche 5 standard Eurofighters and has instead chosen to transition its fighter replacements towards the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, while keeping existing Eurofighters up to date through life-extension programmes.

Introduced in Update 2.53 “Line of Contact”, the Typhoon (AESA) offers all the features and capabilities of the previous Typhoon FGR.4, but is now equipped with the new CAPTOR-E radar and SPICE 250 guided bombs that enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities. The CAPTOR-E radar offers exceptional scanning and tracking performance, while also having an increased gimbal limit (100 degrees) compared to the older CAPTOR-M radar. Additionally, the fire-and-forget SPICE 250 guided bombs are a welcome addition to supplement existing Brimstone missiles and Paveway laser-guided bombs. However, the Typhoon is still held back by the poor manoeuvrability of its AIM-120 missiles, which hampers its effectiveness in quick close-range engagements.