This is crazy, bro! I can't figure out the way he danced around the topic if they're proceeding with the entire Italian mega deal that was offered in what, 2021-2022 I think it was...? or just the 24 Typhoons out of that package? It sounds like just the jets for now, right?
It gets even more complicated when he mentioned the package included the 4 to 6 Bergamini FREMM frigates of which the EN has already acquired 2. So they already dipped into the package complicating the whole thing haha.
Then there's the 20 Aermacchi M-346 trainers, the 20 OPV patrol ships and the military satellite. That's a huge package and hard to tell if they're cherry-picking the Typhoons for now since they already cherry-picked the 2 Bergaminis out of the package or are they going for the gusto and filling the whole order? He did say we should expect the EAF to receive 24 Typhoons sometime soon so at least we know that much, but he still drives me crazy.
They probably would've fulfilled the entire deal originally in 2022 if the Julio Regeni case wasn't floating over everyone's head causing friction and grinding at the Italian government from the Italian people. Most don't know this, but that was the major obstacle to this mega deal not materializing the first time it was announced and is now being revisited.
Not sure what an Italian, university of Cambridge PHD student was doing in Egypt studying its labor union laws?! Pretty bizarre but maybe it was research for his PHD degree, and he was at the wrong place and the wrong time. My guess is he stuck his nose into places it didn't belong and suffered the unfortunate consequences. Still doesn't justify the guy getting murdered. They said he was captured by Egyptian security services probably at the behest of Al Mukhabarat and we all know those guys don't **** around and you want to avoid them at all cost lol. But apparently they found his body bruised & battered showing undeniable signs of torture. His family made a huge deal out of his death in the Italian press (and who can blame them?) and that is the crux of the delay and complication to this mega Italian arms deal.
So according to this article published in September of 2022, the
EAF is insisting on not only a NON-DOWNGRADED EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON, BUT ALSO THE METEOR BVR MISSILE must also be part of the weapons package deal for the aircraft.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is committed to acquiring the Eurofighter Typhoon from Italy to further diversify and modernize the Egyptian Air Force (EAF), despite the recent procurement of Rafale jets. The Typhoon sale is part of a $12 billion arms mega-deal between Italy and Egypt, which also includes warships. While pursuing the deal, Cairo is anxiously trying to prevent the U.S. from sabotaging the Typhoon talks to maintain Israel's Qualitative Military Edge (QME). Egypt wants an “un-downgraded” Typhoon and the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).
So that's good to know that not only is Egypt fighting the US' ridiculous insistence on all advanced weapons to Egypt be downgraded in order to protect the zionist, but fighting for the inclusion of the Meteor. This is good.
So it should basically look like this:
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Not a fan of the dark-colored radome, but if that's the way it needs to be for the Captor-E AESA radar to properly beam in & out, so be it. Ain't gonna complain about form over such a critical function. Let's hope the CAPTOR-E is now standard with the EFT2000 which begs the question, would these be Tranche-3 or 4 Typhoons? What do you think, SC?
The other cool thing he mentioned is that it will be the first time an air force will deploy two different delta/canard platforms simultaneously. Between the Rafale and the Typhoon, there's some serious technological power. Even both aircraft have incredibly advance EW & defensive suites in the Rafale's SPECTRA and the Typhoon's Praetorian DASS. And being that both of these aircraft have such advanced avionics technology, it would be great to see the EAF step it up and start taking advantage of all this technology such as the EFT's JHMCS. Let's see the lucky guys who end up flying these machines use these things.
The new Typhoon integrated helmet is insane. If they're getting all these goodies, might as well use them to their full potential, right?
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This is pretty much the new thing beyond helmet mounted cuing system where it's actually Helmet Mounted Symbology System. Just like the F-35 helmet, it basically allows the pilot to see right through the body of the aircraft, giving him a vital advantage when it comes to split-second decision-making. EAF Rafale pilots should have these too. If you're going to spend $12 billion of such a massive weapons package, why not divert some of those tremendous funds to something that will allow the users to extract full capabilities of those weapons? Seems like a no-brainer to me. The EAF MiG-29 pilots get to use the monocle with their helmets to better assist in firing the R-73 during high boresight shots.
How the HMSS works: Pilot can now look at multiple targets, lock-on to them, and then, by voice-command, prioritize them.
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Cockpit ergonomics look good, Maybe the ejection chord is a bit too small lol. Putting it in that position forced them to make it small but eeesh, can a gloved hand even make 4 fingers into that loop?
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