New photo shows Eurofighter Typhoon carrying Storm Shadow cruise missiles during latest trials

Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft is expanding its air-to-surface capabilities with air-launched cruise missiles.

The image in this post was taken at Decimomannu airbase, Italy, on Sept. 10.

It shows the Italian Eurofighter Typhoon instrumented production aircraft 2 (IPA2) carrying two MBDA’s Storm Shadow cruise missiles during the latest weapons trials in Sardinia.

The MBDA Storm Shadow missile is a conventional, stealthy, 1.300 kg standoff weapon (over 5-mt long), designed for use against very high value targets in all-weather conditions.

The missile is already in service with the RAF and Italian Tornados, that have extensively used it in combat during Libya Air War. The missile will further enhance the swing role capabilities of the Typhoon and may be a weapon of interest for all those operators that use (or plan to) the aircraft in the air-to-surface role. Including Kuwait, that has become the latest country to select the Typhoon and is expected to operate 28 planes, the “most advanced Eurofighters yet.”

Image credit: Giampaolo Mallei

 

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.