With the “Super Typhoon” (Captor-E, Meteor, ECRS Mk2), Europe aims to extend the Eurofighter’s service life until the 2040s and compete with the Rafale and F-35 on the export market.
In summary
The “Super Typhoon” concept refers to a series of major upgrades to the Eurofighter Typhoon, focusing on the Captor-E / ECRS AESA radar (Mk0, Mk1, Mk2), the integration of the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile, and a complete modernization of the avionics, electronic warfare systems, and, ultimately, the engines. The stated objective is clear: to keep the aircraft combat-ready until the 2040s, as an operational bridge between 4th generation fighter fleets and future 6th generation systems such as FCAS or GCAP. With a large AESA antenna, an expanded field of view, and active jamming capabilities, the Captor-E/ECRS Mk2 is set to transform the Typhoon into a 4.5+ generation multi-role platform capable of long-range detection, electronic attack, and “no escape zone” firing with Meteor.
This “Super Eurofighter Typhoon” is coming onto the market at a time when some European countries are looking to supplement their F-35 fleets, but also to preserve a sovereign aerospace industrial base. It is positioned directly against the Rafale F4 and then F5, which Dassault plans to deliver beyond 2035 with a new RBE2-XG radar featuring GaN technology, enhanced data architecture, and a key role in French deterrence. However, the budget debates are brutal: a report cited at the end of 2025 mentions a unit cost for the Eurofighter of up to €140 million, almost double that of the Rafale Air, estimated at around €75 million for France, while some Rafale export contracts exceed €250 to €269 million per aircraft, depending on the configuration. In this context, the “Super Typhoon” offer is aimed primarily at customers already involved in the program, but also at a few countries seeking a compromise between the F-35 and the Rafale, with an operational horizon extending into the 2040s.
The concept of a “Super Eurofighter Typhoon”
The term “Super Typhoon” now covers a range of upgrades rather than a single new official standard. Eurofighter and its industrial partners describe a gradual evolution, in “blocks” of capabilities, combining new sensors, new weapons, onboard electronics and, ultimately, improved propulsion.
The concept is based on three technical pillars:
- the widespread adoption of the Captor-E / ECRS AESA radar, in Mk0, Mk1, and Mk2 versions depending on the country;
- the full integration of the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile on these AESA radars;
- an increase in electronic warfare capabilities (modernized Praetorian suite, EW functions integrated into the radar, possible dedicated EK variants).
A specialist article mentions, for this “Super Eurofighter” generation, a 200-fold increase in the computing power of the avionics, accompanied by improved data links, the integration of the Striker II helmet and an upgrade of the Praetorian DASS defensive system. The aim is to transform the Typhoon from a mere air superiority fighter into a true swing-role aircraft, capable of switching very quickly from a long-range air-to-air mission to a precision air-to-ground strike in a contested environment.
The Captor-E / ECRS radar, the cornerstone of modernization
The transition from the M-Scan mechanical radar to the Captor-E / ECRS active antenna radar is the most significant transformation for the “Super Typhoon.” The ECRS consortium includes three variants: Mk0, already in integration, Mk1 for Germany and Spain, and Mk2 for the United Kingdom with strong electronic attack capabilities.
Hensoldt, which is developing the ECRS Mk1 with Indra, highlights several key features:
- a new multi-channel reception architecture;
- new-generation broadband transceiver modules;
- enhanced target detection and classification performance, even in highly cluttered environments;
- integrated electronic warfare functions (ESM and EA).
A key factor is the size of the antenna: the Typhoon has a wider nose than most of its competitors, allowing for a larger and therefore more powerful AESA antenna. Combined with the antenna’s mechanical rotation capability, this architecture would offer up to 50% additional angular coverage compared to conventional fixed AESA antennas, increasing both the field of view and the useful detection area.
In the UK, the ECRS Mk2 program, led by BAE Systems and Leonardo UK, aims for operational service in the second half of the 2020s after flight testing begins in 2024. This radar is expected to provide offensive jamming and simultaneous tracking of multiple targets while conducting electronic warfare, transforming the Typhoon into an electronic superiority platform rather than just a “kinetic” fighter.
The Meteor missile and the transformation of air-to-air combat
The modernization of the Typhoon would be meaningless without the corresponding weaponry. The Meteor missile, developed by MBDA, is now at the center of the “Super Typhoon” debate.
This ramjet missile is distinguished by its combination of long range and wide “no escape zone,” i.e., an area in which the target can no longer escape the missile through maneuvering or acceleration.
By maintaining high energy at the end of its trajectory, Meteor is designed to impose its will in engagements beyond visual range, including against high-altitude or maneuvering adversaries.
A recent series of “capability enhancement” contracts specifically provides for the transfer of Meteor’s full capability from older mechanical radars to new E-Scan radars, with standardization of this capability across the entire fleet. The integration of Meteor is combined with other advanced munitions, such as Storm Shadow and Taurus cruise missiles for deep strike, or Brimstone for close precision support.
In the “Super Typhoon” configuration, the aircraft thus becomes a long-range air-to-air and strategic air-to-ground combat platform, which increases its appeal to countries seeking to pool roles rather than multiply specialized fleets.
Positioning vis-à-vis the Rafale F4 and F5
In response to the “Super Typhoon,” Dassault is preparing its own “Super Rafale” with the F5 standard, expected in the early 2030s. This standard will incorporate a new RBE2-XG radar with GaN technology, connected to a fiber optic data architecture to absorb the massive data flows generated by sensors and collaborative combat.
The Rafale F5 is designed by France to maintain a nuclear deterrent posture until the 2050s, which implies compatibility with future air-to-ground cruise missiles and enhanced survivability against stealth fighters such as the Chengdu J-20 or Su-57. It also relies on cooperation with combat drones and a very dense electronic warfare bubble, in line with the logic of a “system” fighter rather than a simple missile vector.
In terms of raw performance, one article notes that the Typhoon and Rafale outperform the F-35 in speed and range: the Typhoon has a maximum speed of around Mach 2.35, while the Rafale reaches Mach 1.8, albeit at a high unit cost. On the industrial front, the Rafale has an order book of around 220 aircraft by the end of 2025, including 45 for France and 175 for export, with production extended until at least 2035.
In terms of costs, the same overview highlights that some Rafale export contracts are worth €250 to €269 million per aircraft, while the unit cost for the French Air Force for 42 Rafale F4s is estimated to have exceeded €5 billion, or around €120 million per aircraft.
A report cited in France suggests that a Eurofighter could cost around €140 million, almost twice the estimated cost of a Rafale Air at around €75 million, although these figures vary greatly depending on the configuration, offsets, and scope of the contracts.
In this context, the “Super Typhoon” seeks to present itself as a credible technical alternative, but also as a political solution that would allow industrial benefits to be shared between Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain, whereas the Rafale is part of a French industry concentrated around Dassault, Safran, and Thales.
Budgetary and industrial challenges
The Typhoon’s move upmarket comes at a cost, but it is part of a broader trend of increased defense budgets in Europe, in the wake of the war in Ukraine and NATO’s 2% GDP targets. For Eurofighter partner countries, investing in a “Super Typhoon” allows them to extend the value of a fleet already in service, rather than switching entirely to American solutions such as the F-35 or waiting for still hypothetical programs such as FCAS or GCAP.
The Eurofighter consortium points out that the ECRS Mk1 can be installed on all Typhoons from Tranche 2 onwards, paving the way for large-scale modernization without rebuilding a new fleet. An internal interview already mentions 126 aircraft covered by contracts for the development and integration of the E-Scan Mk1 radar, with five air forces planning to operate an E-Scan-compatible Typhoon and four confirmed production programs.
At the same time, British industry is promoting ECRS Mk2 as a tool for technological sovereignty, designed to keep critical defense electronics skills in the UK and fuel the future GCAP program. For Berlin, Rome, and Madrid, maintaining a modernized Typhoon production line is a significant industrial lever, particularly if additional orders were to extend production, which is currently limited to around 14 aircraft per year, according to some analyses.
However, there is a downside to this scenario: the temptation to extend the life of the Typhoon could absorb budget margins that could otherwise be allocated to 6th generation programs. The partners are therefore performing a balancing act: financing a credible bridge to 2040 without compromising the ramp-up of future air combat systems.
Target customers and market impact
The “Super Typhoon” is primarily aimed at existing customers: the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain, but also export users in the Middle East and Europe.
For them, the transition to Captor-E/ECRS, Meteor integration, and electronic warfare upgrades are a way to keep pace with neighboring F-35s without switching to a new aircraft.
Countries that have already ordered or evaluated the Typhoon—such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar—are also potential targets for retrofits and fleet additions. In some cases, these customers already combine Typhoon with F-15 or F-35, which reinforces the argument for Typhoon as a mass and superiority fighter, while the F-35 takes on the role of a stealth penetration platform.
More broadly, this “Super Typhoon” is positioned in the segment of countries that:
- do not necessarily accept all the political and operational constraints of the F-35;
- are looking for a high level of technology that is compatible with their budgets;
- want to preserve or develop a local industrial base through participation in the Eurofighter program.
Facing them, the Rafale F4/F5 appears to be the most serious European competitor, with a very dynamic export pipeline and a solid production outlook. The Rafale-Super Typhoon duel will be played out as much on technical performance as on industrial cooperation offers, political flexibility, and the ability to deliver quickly in a market marked by the urgency to rebuild stocks and fleets.
A bridge to 2040, but not the end of the story
The “Super Eurofighter Typhoon” embodies a clear vision: that of a 4th generation fighter that has been thoroughly modernized to remain relevant in a sky dominated by sensors, data links, and electronic warfare. By combining wideband AESA radar, Meteor, advanced EW capabilities, and potentially an EJ200 engine with 15% more thrust, the aircraft is equipped to hold its own until the first deliveries of 6th generation fighters in the 2040s.
One question remains that neither Eurofighter nor Dassault can avoid: in an environment where the F-35 is becoming the de facto NATO standard, how many air forces will agree to finance two major modernization programs, one for a 4.5-generation fighter and the other for a 6th-generation program? As contracts take shape, we will see whether the Super Typhoon remains a strategic bridge or becomes, for lack of a better option, a long-term substitute for future combat systems that are slow to materialize.
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