The Eurofighter Typhoon programme has reached a major operational milestone, with the multinational combat aircraft fleet surpassing one million cumulative flying hours, highlighting its sustained role in European and allied air power.
At the same time, the EJ200 engine that powers the Typhoon has crossed an equally significant benchmark, exceeding two million flying hours. Each Typhoon aircraft is equipped with two EJ200 engines, meaning the engine total reflects extensive operational use across decades of service.
“One million flying hours is a truly historic milestone that reflects three decades of teamwork, innovation, and commitment from thousands of people across Europe,” said Jorge Tamarit-Degenhardt, Chief Executive Officer of Eurofighter. He noted that the achievement underscores both the aircraft’s reliability and the depth of cooperation behind the programme.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is operated by several European air forces as well as export customers, primarily across the European Union and the Middle East. The aircraft is routinely deployed for a wide range of missions, including air policing, quick reaction alert duties, joint patrols with allied forces, and combat operations in contested environments.
The Typhoon is jointly produced by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain, making it one of Europe’s most significant collaborative defence projects. The programme is managed on behalf of participating governments by the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), and is widely regarded as one of the largest and most complex multinational defence collaborations ever undertaken in Europe.
According to programme data, the Eurofighter Typhoon currently accounts for around 80 percent of all operational air missions flown by the core partner nations, reflecting its central role in day-to-day air force operations.
Technologically, the aircraft makes extensive use of advanced composite materials, with only about 15 percent of its airframe constructed from metal. This design choice supports high manoeuvrability at subsonic speeds while enabling efficient supersonic flight across a broad range of mission profiles. The use of lightweight composites reduces overall airframe weight by around 30 percent compared to traditional materials, improving range, performance, and survivability while also lowering the radar signature.
The Typhoon is equipped with an electronically scanned radar as its primary sensor, allowing wide-area target detection and tracking. It can carry a diverse mix of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons, enabling engagements from close combat to long-range precision strikes.
