Exclusive: F-16 gets killed by Typhoon during air combat training in first Eurofighter HUD capture ever.

April 26, 2012 Military Aviation
David Cenciotti

The following screenshot comes from a video recorded by the HUD (Head Up Display) of a Eurofighter Typhoon and it is the first (and only) Typhoon HUD capture ever made public.

It shows an F-16 in the wrong place at the wrong time: in front of a high maneuvering plane capable to point its nose when it wants to.

During a dissimilar air combat training (DACT), the “Viper”, in clean configuration and maneuvering under high G-forces, is killed by a Typhoon with a gun shot scored while flying at 8,200 feet, less than 5 degrees AOA (Angle of Attack), Mach 0.46, pulling 1.8G.

According to the source who sent it to me, the rest of the video shows that the Typhoon, after downing the F-16, continues maneuvering vertically, accelerating a bit to climb and descend again for a second shot on the same target.

The video answers some articles published in 2011 about claims that Pakistan Air Force’s pilots scored Typhoon kills during DACT taking place in Turkey, during Ex.  Anatolian Eagle. According to such reports, Pakistani pilots on exchange with the Turkish Air Force, and flying TuAF F-16s, scored kills against RAF Typhoons in WVR (Within Visual Range) gun contests (even if no evidence was provided to support claims fueling the theory that the  of fighter pilot tall story).

Since I don’t think I need to explain once again why DACT WVR is important and why any simulated kill should be taken with grain of salt, let me just add (paraphrasing someone else’s words):

“The European Typhoon kicks butts!”

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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.

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11 Comments

  1. The typhoon is left wing down (left turn) so his cannon fire will pass well behind the Viper. I’m neither a Typhoon nor Viper lover but this shot is bogus and a cheap call.

    • LOL

      Lee I’m sure you’r neither a pilot nor a flight simmer otherwise you’d be able to understand that the Typhoon is on a right hand turn (right wing down).
      And of course the screenshot is absolutely genuine as anything I publish on my blog.

    • You are obviously not familiar with the constantly computed impact point (CCIP) This isn’t a deflection shot. Where the pipper is placed on the F16 is where the rounds WILL hit if the trigger is squeezed at that time. they will not pass above below or anywhere else they will hit on the dot.

    • That is no Russian HUD, where is full logic, when your left wing s down, your HUD show that, on NATO plains is opposite.line on the HUD show the line of land line hor. , and not position of the plain And i always ask my self isn’t that confusing except in situation when air plain totally loos control.

  2. I always thought releasing HUD images of simulated kills to be a desperate “PR move” as they do not mean anything at all in terms of… well, anything. Perhaps why we have seen so many from France.

  3. Someone will post those lovely shots of a Typhoon caught in an F-16’s HUD in 3..2..1

  4. BTW, the Typhoons killed by F-16’s flown by PAF pilots were those belonging to the Italian Air Force. The story is 100% real too just incase you were wondering, those of us that were there know tat they ( the Typhoons) took a right pasting. F-16’s are one aircraft in particular that the Typhoon really struggles with when fighting WVR.

    • Are you sure?
      That’s the first time I hear this story. As far as I know, the only time an Italian Typhoon squadron has attended the Anatolian Eagle it was not involved in any DACT with the Turkish F-16s.
      And, to be honest, if you assume the story is 100 percent real, you have to agree that the even the part of the account when the Pakistani officer says they confrontated with the RAF and scored a 3:0 ratio, is true. He gave an interview to AFM’s Alan Warnes, if I recall correctly. Why did he lie on the Typhoon’s nationality?

      Anyway, I don’t care if the Typhoons were Italian, Spanish or British since I’ve already explained that the value of such engagements can’t be judged unless you know the scenario, the ROE etc. Same for the HUD captures.

    • The Typhoon does not struggle at all with F16, During flight ops in a 1 v 6 xF16 it has scored a 6-0 before now. it has also come up well against the F22 Raptor.

      The truth is that in Air to Air scenarios, everyone scores kills against everyone. You can be in a 1950’s jet,up against one of the latest 3rd generation fighters, but if you can creep up and catch it him by surprise, get your shot in first, you will win. Thats what its all about isn’t it?
      Combat is a lot more than turning and burning. Look through history and note all the of fighter pilots in this world who did not see the aeroplane that shot them down…!

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