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Britain voices concern over future of F-35 in US WASHINGTON — British Defence Minister Philip Hammond voiced concern on Thursday about possible cuts or delays in the US F-35 fighter program as London plans to equip a future aircraft carrier with the stealthy aircraft. In a visit to the US capital, Hammond said he wanted to hear from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the potential effect of a new US military strategy and budget plan on the future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "One of the things I hope to understand in the meetings I am to have later...

Nearly half the residents of the German city of Koblenz are being forced to leave their homes this weekend after the discovery of a 2-ton, unexploded World War II bomb, marking the biggest bomb-related evacuation in Germany's post-war history. Some 45,000 residents of the Rhineland city—including those in a jail, two hospitals and several nursing homes and hotels—are under orders to evacuate by Sunday, when a bomb-disposal squad plans to defuse the 10-foot bomb dropped by British fliers, most likely in a 1944 bombing raid. Found lodged in the bed of the ebbing Rhine River earlier this week, the bomb...

PICTURES: Lockheed rolls out UK's first Joint Strike Fighter By: Craig Hoyle London Lockheed Martin has rolled out the UK's first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), with the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft to be delivered in 2012. As the first F-35 to have been manufactured for an international partner, aircraft BK-1 will now enter a period of functional fuel system checks at Lockheed's Fort Worth site in Texas. It will then undergo "ground and flight tests in the coming months", the US-based airframer said. © Lockheed Martin The UK ordered three STOVL F-35Bs to participate in the...

In a spot of surpassing peace and beauty on a lonely hillside in the Ashdown Forest in Sussex we often pause for a while at The Airman’s Grave. It is not really a grave but a memorial to brave young men who gave their tomorrows for our today.

SITTING proudly to attention, displaying a row of campaign medals on his chest, this RAF veteran is a military hero. But now Air Dog Buster is retiring after braving bombs and bullets on five operational tours. The nine-year-old English springer spaniel saw active service on two tours of Bosnia and two of Afghanistan, fitting in a few months in Iraq in between. The arms and explosives sniffer dog lives with his handler, RAF Police Sergeant Michael “Will” Barrow, 45, and his wife, Tracy. But he is not turning his back on military life – Buster will be the RAF Police...

Typhoon: The last hurrah for the UK aerospace industry? 22 August 2011 Outgoing GKN plc Chief Executive Sir Kevin Smith tellls DMJ editor Anthony Hall what the UK aerospace industry must do to secure its future in tough economic times… With the government focusing its defence industry policy towards a drive for exports, the invitation from UKTI DSO to visit the Pall Mall offices of GKN plc to speak to CEO Sir Kevin Smith was a timely one. A business leader with over 30 years' experience in the aerospace industry, Smith has been chief executive of GKN since 2003 and...

Pro-Gaddafi forces had taken to the sea by boat after fighting a desperate rearguard battle for the refinery, the regime’s last source of fuel for its besieged capital. ... “Although a challenging target, small and under way at sea, a direct hit was scored with a laser-guided Paveway bomb which sank the vessel,” Major Gen Nick Pope said.

'British Typhoons whacked India's Sukhois in joint exercises' Jul 24, 2011 | IANS Britain's frontline fighter jet Eurofighter Typhoon, shortlisted for India's $10.4-billion combat jets tender, whacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) warhorse Sukhoi in one-on-one dog fights during bilateral air war games, if Britain's air chief is to be believed. "Well, they lost," was Stephen Dalton's response when asked how the Russian-developed India-manufactured Su-30MKI air superiority jets performed against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Typhoons when they matched their wits during the joint exercises in recent years. However, he was quick to add that the two aircraft are different...

RAF's giant of skies to be 'christened' by defence chiefs 15 July 2011 |UK The RAF’s largest and newest aircraft - the A330 ‘Voyager’ – was officially christened today. It was making its first official public appearance at RAF Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo - an event that every year keeps the capabilities and importance of air power in the minds of the nation. The Defence Secretary Liam Fox and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton attended the naming ceremony. Dr Fox said: "I am delighted to see the new Royal Air Force...

Foreigners take sacked RAF pilots' places Trainee RAF pilots sacked under defence cuts will be replaced on flying courses by officers from foreign air forces. The Ministry of Defence is "actively seeking" foreign personnel to pay for "surplus" training places left by British personnel dismissed earlier this year, a minister has admitted. The Daily Telegraph revealed in February that scores of RAF pilots in training are being sacked to save money. A defence minister has now admitted that because the trainees were dismissed at such short notice, the staff and equipment for their training are still in service and must...

Paris 2011: Next-generation Hawk vies for export sales By: David Donald June 20, 2011 Military Aircraft BAE Systems brings its Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) to the Paris Air Show seeking to extend the life of its hugely successful trainer, which has already trained around 20,000 pilots. There are plenty of opportunities for the Hawk AJT, including the potentially massive T-X requirement for a T-38 replacement for the U.S. Air Force. T-X envisions the acquisition of around 350 aircraft with initial operating capability to be achieved in 2017. A formal request is expected in the third quarter of this year,...

Old Tornado jets no crutch for Typhoon in Libya: pilot (Reuters) - The aging Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon's joint sorties in Libya give a tactical advantage to both warplanes and the older jet is not babysitting the younger, a UK air force official said on Sunday. While enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya since mid-March, the modern Eurofighter, which had not been used in real-life combat since its introduction in 2003, has generally been accompanied on missions by Tornado jets, which have been used in air-to-ground combat for some 20 years. "It may seem strange to fly with the...

LIBYA: UK commits Eurofighter Typhoons for ground-attack duties By Craig Hoyle The UK has stepped up its commitment to the NATO-led campaign to contain Libya's armed forces by adding four Panavia Tornado GR4s to its contribution and placing an equal number of Eurofighter Typhoons at readiness to conduct offensive action. Prime Minister David Cameron announced the decision to send the four additional Tornado ground-attack aircraft during a 5 April visit to Royal Air Force personnel forward-deployed at Gioia del Colle air base in Italy. Eight GR4s are already at the site and have been used to conduct multiple strikes during...

Our ace in the pack: Lone British female Typhoon pilot takes to skies to keep up the pressure on Colonel Gaddafi By Tom Kelly In Gioia Del Colle Unnamed woman one of just ten maintaining no-fly zone over Libya With a relaxed air that conceals her steely resolve, this is the lone female RAF pilot flying combat missions over Libya. The woman, who has not been named, is one of ten Typhoon pilots deployed to enforce the no-fly zone by North Africa and blast Colonel Gaddafi's aircraft from the skies. Stationed at the British advanced post in southern Italy, she...

PICTURES: UK outlines Typhoon, Tornado operations against Gaddafi forces By Craig Hoyle The UK Ministry of Defence has provided fresh details about its commitment to supporting the UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya, including the first combat employment of its Eurofighter Typhoons. At least nine Royal Air Force aircraft types are involved in the UK’s Operation “Ellamy”, with their activities now largely being conducted from Gioia del Colle air base in Italy and RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. After arriving at Gioia del Colle on 20 March, RAF Typhoons took part in their first combat operation for the UK within less than 24h....

Typhoon makes history in Libya with first combat mission The RAF’s new Typhoon Eurofighter fighter jet made history yesterday as it took to the skies on its first combat mission. By John Bingham, and Andy Bloxham 11:09PM GMT 21 Mar 2011 A pair of British F2 Typhoon aircraft took off from southern Italy on their first patrols to enforce the UN-imposed no-fly zone over Libya. Around a dozen of £70 million supersonic jets have been assigned to take part in the international efforts designed to keep Colonel Gaddafi’s air force grounded. The aircraft, usually based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire,...

UK commits Typhoons, Tornado GR4s to Libyan no-fly zone By Craig Hoyle The UK has started preparations to deploy Eurofighter Typhoon and Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft to the Mediterranean region to support an international operation to restrict the activity of forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The action was confirmed by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on 18 March, who told the House of Commons that further assets, including air-to-air refuelling and reconnaissance aircraft will also be involved. "Preparations to deploy these aircraft have already started, and in the coming hours they will move to air bases...

The royal is off to a secret US experimental combat weapons base where he will learn how to hunt the Taliban in his attack helicopter. The 26-year-old has been selected for special training at the American Army's Yuma proving ground in Arizona, where he will be taught how to use the gunship's awesome firepower.

RAF pilots who flew a daring rescue mission in to the Libyan Desert used a black and white Google Maps printout to land. The brave humanitarian crew had none of the usual high tech guidance and support as they swooped to rescue British oil workers amid last week's chaos and bloodshed. Flight Lieutenant Stuart Patton was in the cockpit for the nerve-racking mission, which Tripoli's air traffic control had not sanctioned. The 29-year-old from Colchester, Essex, said: "I'd been handed some information from the internet that had been hastily printed out, including a black and white satellite image from Google...

The Spitfire - - an appreciation By George Kerevan 75 years ago today, as darkness loomed across Europe, an achingly beautiful aircraft soared into the heavens on its maiden flight. The plane would become both an eight-gunned instrument of freedom and a near-spiritual symbol of it. The Spitfire was born. AT 4:35pm on the afternoon of 5 March, 1936, a pilot called Joseph 'Mutt' Summers walked across the grass of Southampton Airport - currently a hub for Flybe. Summers had spent a tiring day testing a new RAF bomber. Now, he had to squeeze in the first flight of a...

RAF forced to cut training hours for pilots on new Typhoon jet RAF has just eight pilots capable of flying ground attack missions in new Typhoon Richard Norton-Taylor The Guardian, Wednesday 2 March 2011 The RAF sacked pilots training to fly existing fast jets. Now it has been forced to ground pilots learning to fly the next generation of planes. In a devastating report on waste and inefficiency in the MoD, parliament's independent watchdog says a lack of spare parts has forced the RAF to cut the hours pilots need to learn to fly its new, long-delayed, fleet of Typhoon...

Two RAF Hercules aircraft were involved in the operation, which involved the SAS and forces from Special Boat Service. Both planes have landed in Malta, the Ministry of Defence confirmed, while HMS Cumberland is on her way back to Benghazi to evacuate anyone else left in the chaos-stricken country. Britain has also evacuated its diplomatic staff and suspended the operations of the British embassy in Tripoli. Workers departed on the last Government-chartered flight, which took off for Gatwick carrying 53 British nationals on Saturday afternoon. Liam Fox, the defence secretary, said: "I can confirm that two RAF C130 Hercules aircraft...

Cuts could cost RAF its fleet of Tornados Exclusive: MoD spending crisis means planes could be rushed out of service, rather than phased out over several years Nick Hopkins The RAF's entire fleet of Tornado ground attack aircraft could be rushed out of service because of a fresh spending crisis at the Ministry of Defence, the Guardian has learned. With the department trying to find an extra £1bn savings before the end of the spending round next month, ministers and senior military officials have been presented with a range of unpalatable options. One involves the immediate withdrawal of the RAF's...

Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has successfully completed -- ahead of schedule -- its industrial participation (IP) programs for the first five C-17 Globemaster III aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). To date, Boeing has delivered benefits of more than $1 billion to United Kingdom industry for this aircraft program. "Boeing has been a partner to the United Kingdom for more than 70 years, serving the needs of its commercial airplane customers and Britain's military," said Mike Kurth, managing director, Boeing Defence United Kingdom. "Boeing is a major contributor to the local economy. The company has...

Many residents of Tayside and Fife reported hearing the jets roaring away from the threatened front-line base shortly after 5am on Tuesday. The unknown planes were soon identified as Russian military aircraft. When contacted by The Courier, a spokeswoman at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) stressed the Russian aircraft had not encroached into UK airspace. "Aircraft were launched to identify two unknown aircraft that were flying in international airspace over the North Sea," she said. "They were identified as Russian military aircraft." The latest incident comes just two weeks after a pair of Russian Bear bombers were intercepted close to...

Scrapping Nimrod is a gift horse for the Russians By Con Coughlin Last updated: January 27th, 2011 The commanders of Russia’s Baltic fleet will be rubbing their hands with glee over the government’s decision to scrap the RAF’s £4 billion Nimrod aircraft. As I wrote this morning, for 40 years Nimrod has been central to our attempts to prevent Russia’s fleet of nuclear submarines from penetrating our defences. But without the sophisticated maritime reconnaissance capability that Nimrod provides, we have, in effect, abandoned the North Sea to the Russians. Defence officials insist that our Nato allies in Scandanavia, who also...

The Airbus Military A330 MRTT has successfully passed fuel to receiver aircraft using the Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU) for the first time – meaning that all of the aircraft's refuelling systems have now been demonstrated. In a three hour 10 min sortie from Getafe near Madrid on 21st January, the Future Strategic Transport Aircraft (FSTA) variant for the UK Royal Air Force conducted a series of “wet contacts” with two F-18 fighters of the Spanish Air Force. Contacts were successfully performed with both fighters at an altitude of around 15,000ft and at speeds from 250kt to 325kt. The FRU is...

Key defence officials are meeting on Tuesday to thrash out the details of how to make immediate savings to the 2011/2012 budget. The RAF is bracing itself to its fleet of 134 Tornado GR4 fighter-bombers being slashed in half to just 60 jets to save up to £300 million a year. Despite challenging the previous government over the helicopter shortages in Afghanistan a key decision will be the likely announcement to cut 12 extra Chinooks that were part of a package ordered by Gordon Brown. Other important equipment programmes are going to be axed in what will be an embarrassing...

The ultimate death stare: New RAF helmet allows pilots to shoot down enemy jets by looking at them By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:32 PM on 3rd January 2011 Pilot can glance at an aircraft he wants to fire a missile at by using his mind It looks no more high-tech than any other fighter pilot helmet. But this £250,000 headset allows RAF pilots to shoot down planes simply by looking at them. The ‘Striker’ Integrated Display Helmet marks one of the biggest leaps forward in attack capabilities in military history. All a pilot has to do is...

'Blow up all soldiers' the pair shouted during attack A former serviceman was left bloodied and bruised when two drunken thugs beat him up for wearing an RAF blazer and poppy.Anthony O'Brien, 69, was attacked by the thugs, aged between 17 and 20, after meeting friends to plan the funeral of a former colleague. Mr O'Brien said today that as they attacked him they shouted: 'Blow up all soldiers. F****** shoot all you b*******s - death to all soldiers.' The pair - described as being of Asian or mixed race - then headbutted and punched him to the floor...

RAF commander: our air force will be little better than Belgium’s The head of the RAF’s fighter and bomber force has said that drastic cuts in the Government’s defence review “worry the hell out of me” and would leave the Air Force only “slightly above Belgium” in squadron numbers. By Andrew Gilligan Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell, commander of the RAF’s No 1 Group, which controls all Britain’s fast jet combat aircraft, said that Britain was likely to end up with only six fighter and bomber squadrons, half its current number. He warned: “That might not be quite enough.” Air Vice-Marshal...

Royal Navy and RAF Harrier pilots face an uncertain future after the government revealed it is still reviewing the number it will retain following the decision to scrap the aircraft. The decision to scrap the aircraft was made as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in October, with the Harrier being taken out of service and numbers of Tornado aircraft set to be reduced. There are 135 Harrier pilots in the Royal Air Force and 53 in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Responding to a question from New Forest MP Julian Lewis, defence Minister Andrew Robathan said...

PICTURES: UK Harriers to make final operational flights today By Craig Hoyle Operations with the UK’s BAE Systems Harrier GR9/9A ground-attack aircraft will come to an end today, with the nation’s Joint Force Harrier organisation to perform a final series of sorties from the Royal Air Force’s Cottesmore base in Rutland. The farewell is to involve a 16-aircraft formation which will perform flypasts at the RAF’s facilities at Wyton, Cranwell, Waddington, Scampton and Coningsby and also over Stamford, Lincoln and Oakham before returning to land at Cottesmore. The aircraft should take off from around 13:15 local time and land around...

This Is The End...Except It's Not Posted by Robert Wall at 12/13/2010 2:47 PM CST On Dec. 15, the U.K. will hold the ceremonial final flight of the Harrier. (Harrier GR.9s leaving HMS Ark Royal on last time. Credit: Crown Copyright) The end for Joint Force Harrier has come quickly after the Strategic Defense and Security Review, which called for the retirement of the fleet. A ceremonial flight of 16 Harriers will make a pass not just at the home base of RAF Cottesmore, but several other facilities, too. The Harrier GR.1 flew for the first time almost exactly 43...

Since October last year, RAF Tornado GR4 squadrons have been flying over the landscape of Afghanistan providing support to troops on the ground. But it is not just awesome firepower that these fast jets can deliver. RAF Marham, which operates four Tornado squadrons, put on a capability demonstration at the Norfolk-based airfield on Friday 26 November 2010 to show off the jets' capabilities. RAF Marham's Station Commander and Tornado Force Commander, Group Captain Pete Rochelle, said: "The Tornado GR4 is providing support to ground forces when they come under attack and its sophisticated intelligence and surveillance capabilities are playing a...

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] delivered the United Kingdom’s seventh C-17 Globemaster III to the Royal Air Force (RAF) today during a ceremony at Boeing’s final assembly facility in Long Beach. "The addition of a seventh C-17 to our fleet is a significant milestone that strengthens our support of operations worldwide, especially in Afghanistan," said Peter Luff, UK Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology. "And next year, in May, we’ll mark the 10th anniversary of the delivery of the RAF's first C-17, which continues to perform superbly -- anytime and anywhere." The United Kingdom's fleet of C-17s has logged...

Indian air chief dismisses UK’s ‘iffy’ Harriers By James Lamont in Kalaikunda and Alex Barker in London Britain has hit an early obstacle in its bid to sell its fleet of Harrier jump jets after India, the most promising potential buyer, described the aircraft as “iffy” and obsolete. Air Chief Marshall PV Naik, the head of the Indian Air Force, said on Tuesday he would be looking to acquire modern aircraft of fourth-generation capabilities or better. “The Harrier doesn’t fit into that category,” the Air Chief Marshall said. His dismissive remarks over the “iffy” Harrier came soon after Air Chief...

UK seeks buyers for axed Harriers By Alex Barker, Political Correspondent Published: October 31 2010 22:31 Britain is to hang a “for sale” sign on its decommissioned fleet of Harrier jump-jets as ministers attempt to find buyers for aircraft they can no longer afford to fly. India and the US are the two most promising markets for more than 50 of the most up-to-date Harriers, which will otherwise be consigned to the scrap-yard or museum. Peter Luff, defence procurement minister, told the Financial Times that some of the kit axed in the defence review – including the Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft...

An Historic aircraft which was Britain’s last line of defence in the Cold War could be grounded or sold unless its owners can raise £150,000 by the end of tomorrow. The Vulcan, the last all-British designed and built military aircraft, was on around-the-clock standby to drop the atomic bomb on the Soviet Union during the east-west standoff. Now the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, which displays the last flying Vulcan – XH558 – at air shows during the summer, needs to raise money urgently to maintain the aircraft at RAF Lyneham until Christmas.

RAF fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept Russian nuclear bombers near British airspace twice in the last week, it emerged today. The alarm was raised after the huge Tupolev Tu95 'Bears' were spotted on Monday and Tuesday, flying in a Nato-policed zone close to the UK. Tornados from RAF Leuchars in Fife were despatched to identify and escort the bombers back to international air space. The incident is the the latest in a long line of cat-and-mouse engagements between RAF fighters and Russian aircraft, as the Kremlin seeks to test Western response times. Earlier this year, it emerged that...

RAF fast jets could fly from French carrier By Ben Hall in Paris and James Blitz in London Published: October 27 2010 22:34 Britain’s next generation of fast jets could be permitted to fly off France’s flagship Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier under a defence treaty that will deepen military co-operation between the two nations. As David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, prepare to meet in London next week for their first bilateral summit, both countries are set to embark on an unprecedented level of co-ordination over the operation of aircraft carriers and other military hardware. Following the...

Contradictions, Misunderstandings Mar British Defense Review (Source: defense-aerospace.com; published Oct. 25, 2010) By Giovanni de Briganti PARIS --- The British coalition government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review, unveiled in Parliament Oct. 19 by Prime Minister David Cameron, finally proved to contain cuts far less savage than feared by military chiefs. But if the armed forces avoided outright disaster, the Review and Cameron’s statement to Parliament show a worrying lack of understanding of military matters that does not bode well for the future. And some of the decisions to be implemented over the next four years are so contradictory to their...

A fighter falls prey to politics The Coalition is to scrap the Harrier jump jet, while sparing the less effective Tornado. Little wonder the pilots are up in arms, says Con Coughlin. By Con Coughlin They have dedicated their careers to flying one of the world’s most iconic jet fighters. They have flown hundreds of combat missions in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq and Afghanistan again. But from now on the elite group of pilots that flew the Harrier jump jet find themselves kicking their heels on the tarmac with no planes to fly. Of all the painful decisions announced...

UK Defense Review - Harriers Out, Tornado Survives? Posted by Bill Sweetman at 10/18/2010 1:00 AM CDT UK Prime Minister David Cameron is due to announce the results of the nation's strategic defense and security review on Tuesday afternoon. After performing twists and gyrations that would have put Strictly Come Dancing's Flexible Felicity to shame, much of the media had settled last week on a common narrative. Either it's right or the Ministry of Defence's department of obfuscation will pull down the OBEs and MBEs big-time in the next honours list. If the speculation and leaks are correct, these are...

ANALYSIS - Harrier, Tornado in battle royal over UK cuts PARIS (Reuters) - A bureaucratic dogfight between supporters of different combat jets as the UK draws up defence cuts could lead to changes in the way aircraft carriers are designed and how British forces operate, defence sources said. Options being studied by military planners include delaying the deployment of new carriers to convert them to use conventional traps and catapults instead of the unmechanised decks envisaged for Lockheed Martin F-35 jets to be ordered by Britain. The move, which sources briefed on the matter said is one of several options...

These RAF Typhoons are worth their weight in gold Con Coughlin was taken for an unforgettable ride in the £69 million defender of Britain’s skies. Con Coughlin experiences the professionalism and skill of Typhoon pilots The two young RAF fighter pilots are relaxing in a couple of dilapidated, brown velvet armchairs in the mess when the alert sounds to scramble their Typhoon interceptors. Air traffic controllers monitoring the crowded air space over the North Sea have identified a suspicious light aircraft heading in the direction of a nuclear power station on the east coast. Within minutes the Typhoons have taxied...

Ex Military men say unknown intruders have monitored and even tampered with American nuclear missiles

A terminally ill RAF hero who spent a year in a World War II prisoner-of-war camp has been denied NHS nursing care because he is 'not ill enough' - despite having just weeks to live with three cancers and dementia. Former RAF sergeant Bernard Warren, 86, was diagnosed with cancer of the stomach, liver and lungs two weeks ago and given two months to live. His wife Tricia, 69, has dutifully nursed him at home for six years as he fell victim to dementia but is now unable to cope with his failing health.   (edit)   Bernard's son...

Prince Charles wiped away a tear yesterday as some of the last of the Few marched past him during a service to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Six frail RAF veterans passed by carrying the roll of honour containing the names of just under 3,000 air crew who prevented a Nazi invasion in 1940. Charles, who is patron of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, sat beside the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William, who has just graduated as an RAF helicopter pilot, at Westminster Abbey. Commander Bob Foster, one of only 70 surviving members of...

BRITAIN has grounded entire fleet of RAF Typhoon fighter jets after a pilot fell to his death upon activating his ejector seat. The RAF has 64 Eurofighter Typhoons on bases including Coningsby in Lincolnshire, Leuchars in Scotland and the Falkland Islands off the southeastern coast of Argentina. That accident caused the German Air Force to indefinitely ground its 55 Eurofighters last week “because in certain circumstances, the ejector seat does not operate faultlessly in case of emergency". The Spanish, Italian, Austrian and Saudi Arabian air forces also grounded their Typhoon fleets.