How much does the Eurofighter Typhoon cost?

The cost of a new Eurofighter Typhoon depends on the package that comes with the aircraft. The Halcón I programme, signed by Spain in June 2022, acquired 20 Tranche 4 aircraft to replace the Canary Islands' F-18s for €2.043 billion, including engines, simulators, spares and initial logistics support: about €102 million per unit. Halcón II, contracted later, adds 25 more fighters under similar terms. Germany closed its Quadriga programme in 2020, 38 Tranche 4 Typhoons for about €5.4 billion, which includes the ECRS Mk1 electronically scanned radar and broader support, pushing the per-aircraft figure to about €140 million.

The aircraft's base price, without weapons or support, is estimated at around €80-90 million, but that figure is rarely paid on its own. Over 30 years of service, maintenance, standard upgrades and fuel multiply the initial investment: UK auditors calculated that the full life-cycle cost of the British programme far exceeds its purchase cost. Cost per flight hour is the indicator that weighs most heavily on each air force's annual budget.

The Tranche 4 is a twin-engine fighter weighing about 11 t empty, with a top speed of Mach 2 and an AESA radar, capable of carrying Meteor and IRIS-T missiles and guided air-to-ground weapons. The four partner nations (Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain) share production: Airbus manufactures the right wing and leading edges in Getafe and assembles the Spanish aircraft. Buying Eurofighter also means sustaining that industry, an argument that weighs on national decisions as much as price does.