Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4

Tranche 4 is the Eurofighter's fourth production batch. Final assembly began in mid-June 2023 at the Airbus plant at Manching, and the aircraft are fitted with Hensoldt's CAPTOR-E AESA radar and updated hardware and software. The first Eurofighter to this standard took off from Manching on 14 July 2026. Germany acted as launch customer: on 5 November 2020 the government approved an order for thirty-eight aircraft with ground attack capability to replace the Tranche 1 units in German service, formalised on 11 November that year under the Quadriga Agreement at a cost of 5.4 billion euros. In Spain, the Halcon I programme was signed in June 2022 for twenty aircraft, sixteen single-seat and four twin-seat, all to Tranche 4 standard and with deliveries from 2026 to replace the EF-18 Hornet; Halcon II followed on 12 September 2023 for a further twenty-five aircraft, and on 20 December 2024 the Spanish government signed the corresponding contract with the NETMA agency. Italy ordered twenty-four additional aircraft on 23 December 2024. A further development package, designated Tranche 4PE, aims to integrate improved weapons: Meteor, Taurus, AMRAAM, GBU bombs and JDAM. The ECRS Mk1 radar, developed by Hensoldt and Indra for Germany and Spain, will be fitted both to those countries' new Tranche 4 aircraft and, as a retrofit, to their Tranche 2 and 3 fleets.