Spain finalizes $2.1 billion deal for 20 Eurofighters to replace old F-18s

WASHINGTON — Spain is set to receive 20 Eurofighter jets to replace a batch of F-18s the country’s Air Force operates from the Canary Islands, according to Airbus Defence and Space, the largest company of the industry consortium making the aircraft.

The signing of a €2 billion (U.S. $2.1 billion) deal at the Berlin Air Show on Thursday is part of Spain’s wider plan to replace its aging fleet of about 70 Boeing-made F-18s.

Eurofighter had something of a lock on replacing the oldest of Spain’s American-made planes, stationed on the popular tourist island of Gran Canaria, west of Africa. The government in Madrid cleared the purchase in late 2021.

Spain’s Halcon program includes the acquisition of 16 single-seat and four twin-seat jets, all equipped with E-scan radars. With deliveries slated to begin in 2026, the new deal will bring Spain’s Eurofighter fleet to 90, according to Airbus.

The NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency represents the four core governments involved in the program: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. The German-based vendor Eurofighter represents the participating industries of the member countries, led by Airbus Defence and Space for Germany and Spain, BAE Systems for the U.K., and Leonardo for Italy.

The deal signed June 23 in Berlin also includes 48 of the jets’ EJ200 power plants, sold by a consortium of leading engine makers from the four program nations, according to a Eurofighter company statement.

Spain’s Eurofighter aircraft are assembled at Airbus’ Getafe site, south of Madrid.

“This additional order reinforces Spain’s commitment not only towards the Eurofighter but also to its development and industrial environment,” said Mike Schoellhorn, the chief executive of Airbus Defence and Space.

Airbus has pitched the modernization of its Eurofighter fleet as a stepping stone toward the eventual Future Combat Air System, or FCAS, a German-French-Spanish program meant to replace the type in Germany and Spain, and the Rafale in France.

However, that program is in limbo over industrial leadership claims by France’s Dassault that Airbus executives have said they cannot accept because it would force them to abandon their own key business lines in the field of avionics.

Sebastian Sprenger is associate editor for Europe at Defense News, reporting on the state of the defense market in the region, and on U.S.-Europe cooperation and multi-national investments in defense and global security. Previously he served as managing editor for Defense News. He is based in Cologne, Germany.

华盛顿——据制造该型飞机的行业联盟中最大的公司空中客车防务与航天公司称，西班牙将接收 20 架欧洲战斗机，以取代该国空军从加那利群岛运营的一批 F-18 战斗机。

周四在柏林航展上签署的这项价值 20 亿欧元（21 亿美元）的协议，是西班牙更广泛计划的一部分，该计划旨在替换其约 70 架老旧的波音 F-18 战斗机。

欧洲战斗机公司几乎已经锁定了替换西班牙最老旧的美制飞机的订单，这架飞机目前驻扎在西非热门旅游岛屿大加那利岛上。马德里政府于2021年底批准了这笔采购。

西班牙的“哈尔孔”项目包括采购16架单座和4架双座喷气式战斗机，全部配备E-scan雷达。据空客公司称，新合同预计将于2026年开始交付，届时西班牙的“台风”战斗机机队规模将达到90架。

北约欧洲战斗机和旋风战斗机管理机构代表参与该项目的四个核心成员国政府：德国、英国、意大利和西班牙。总部位于德国的供应商欧洲战斗机公司代表各成员国的参与企业，其中德国和西班牙的牵头企业为空中客车防务与航天公司，英国的牵头企业为英国的英国航空航天系统公司，意大利的牵头企业为莱昂纳多公司。

根据欧洲战斗机公司的一份声明，6 月 23 日在柏林签署的这项协议还包括 48 台 EJ200 喷气式飞机动力装置，这些装置由来自四个项目国家的领先发动机制造商组成的财团出售。

西班牙的台风战斗机在空客位于马德里以南赫塔菲的工厂组装。

“这项额外订单不仅巩固了西班牙对欧洲战斗机的承诺，也巩固了西班牙对其发展和工业环境的承诺，”空中客车防务与航天公司首席执行官迈克·舍尔霍恩表示。

空客公司将欧洲战斗机机队的现代化改造视为迈向未来作战空中系统（FCAS）的垫脚石。FCAS是由德国、法国和西班牙联合推出的项目，旨在取代德国和西班牙的欧洲战斗机以及法国的阵风战斗机。

然而，由于法国达索公司声称拥有行业领导地位，空客高管表示他们无法接受这一说法，因为这将迫使他们放弃自己在航空电子领域的关键业务，该计划目前处于停滞状态。

塞巴斯蒂安·斯普伦格是《防务新闻》欧洲版副主编，负责报道该地区的防务市场状况，以及美欧在防务和全球安全领域的合作和多国投资。此前，他曾担任《防务新闻》执行主编。他现居德国科隆。