Trance 3 Typhoon fighter enters electromagnetic testing
NewsMarch 18, 2013
LONDON. Officials at BAE Systems announced the they single seat fighter -- the Tranche 3 Typhoon -- has begun electromagnetic testing. EMC testing will last about eight weeks, then the single-seat no 116 aircraft will undergo avionics testing before moving to engine ground runs.
Electromagnetic protection is necessary as a range of Typhoon systems including the flight, armament, and fuel controls could be vulnerable to radio frequency transmissions such as ground radars or television and radio transmission masts. The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing the aircraft is undergoing is through a technique known as Direct Current Injection. In other words the fighter jet is injected with simulated threat signals directly into specially designed points on the tail, nose, and wing tips.
Under the Tranche 3A contract 112 aircraft have been ordered for the four European partner nations of the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Tranche 3 deliveries are expected to begin later this year.
