At present, Dasa`s most important military aircraft program is the Eurofighter 2000. This fighter plane is a joint development involving Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain. It is the ideal solution to Europe`s air defense problems. The Eurofighter 2000 has the technical flexibility to adjust to the changing operational and strategic developments in central Europe, and in the field of collective safety structures (NATO, WEU). In a secondary role, the Eurofighter 2000 can also be used for air-to-ground operations. Its Delta-Canard Configuration lends it excellent flight performance, acceleration and manoeuverability. Moreover, it is equipped with digital avionics and the latest sensor and computer systems.
Highly-developed software has a vital role in the development of the Eurofighter 2000. Even now, during flight tests, its importance is 20 times greater than it was in the production of the European Tornado fighter.The Eurofighter has been designed to be aerodynamically unstable, so as to give it maximum manoeuverability. The digital, computer-assisted flight control systems used here have quadruple redundancy for flight safety reasons.With an empty weight of around nine tonnes, the Eurofighter is almost one third lighter than the Tornado, which is roughly the same size. This significant reduction in weight is due chiefly to the consistent use of the latest carbon fibre composite materials for the aircraft cells
Compared to other fighters, the Eurofighter also requires a much shorter runway of only 700 metres. Its EJ200 engines, in whose development and construction MTU München is involved, means that it can reach twice the speed of sound.Dasa is the main German contractor. Its responsibilities include the aircraft guidance system and the development and production of the central fuselage sections. The Military Aircraft Division of Dasa is also involved in the tri-national Tornado project and is at present modernizing the European fighter jet. Moreover, it has developed the Ranger 2000 jet trainer together with Rockwell, and has successfully completed the X31 experimental program. The maiden flight of the Eurofighter 2000 took place on March 27, 1994, in Daimler-Benz Aerospace's test center in Manching. The second of a total of seven prototypes had its maiden flight on April 6, 1994, in Warton, Lancashire in Great Britain. The third test aircraft began flight testing with the standard EJ200 engine in Italy on June 4, 1995. The defense ministries of all four participating countries are currently in the middle of intensive discussions concerning the pre-series phase. These should ensure that the standard Eurofighter 2000 can be introduced in Great Britain and Italy from year 2001, and from 2002 onwards for the other partners.
