Airbus has announced the maiden flight of the first Eurofighter acquired by the German Air Force under Project Quadriga. These Eurofighters will procure 38 Tranche 4 jets to replace the oldest aircraft in service.
The first Tranche 4 Eurofighter Typhoon for the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) has made its maiden flight from the Airbus facility in Manching, Germany, the company announced on July 15, 2026. Airbus is currently considering delivery of the first jets procured under the Quadriga program later this year.
As part of Project Quadriga, the U.S. Air Force announced in November 2020 that it will acquire 38 new Tranche 4 Eurofighters, which will replace an equal number of the Luftwaffe’s older Tranche 1 jets. Airbus has now described the first flight of the new Eurofighter tranche as “a major step forward for European defense and sovereignty”.
Work is also already underway on the Tranche 5, which is scheduled to be delivered between 2031 and 2034 and will replace part of the Luftwaffe’s Tornado Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance (ECR) fleet. The remainder of the fleet will be replaced by dedicated SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) Eurofighters EK (Elektronischer Kampf), with Airbus converting 15 of the Luftwaffe’s older Eurofighters to that standard.
Team Luftwaffe’s first Airbus Quadriga Eurofighter (Tranche4) has officially completed its maiden flight! 🛫
This is not just a program milestone. Taking this new build standard to the skies is a huge step forward for European defense and sovereignty. characteristic… pic.twitter.com/QWpc4szEfx— Airbus Defense (@AirbusDefence) July 15, 2026
Luftwaffe Eurofighter Tranche 4 first flight
German Defense News Portal difficultiesThe aircraft participating in the Production Flight Acceptance Test (PFAT) bore registration number 34+02 and was flown by Airbus test pilot Stefan Auer, an Airbus official said. The flight lasted just over an hour, with Auer evaluating “basic flight characteristics, engine performance, flight control systems, hydraulics and electrical systems,” “pushing the fighter to its limits.”
Other systems tested included cockpit instrumentation, navigation and communication systems. Airbus’ Military Aircraft Center in Manching is currently producing 58 Eurofighters, including 38 of the aforementioned German Tranche 4 and 20 Tranche 5, for which a contract was awarded in October 2025.
Of the 38 Quadriga fighters, 30 are single-seater and 8 are two-seater. difficulties The delivery of 38 fighter jets will be completed by 2030, he added.
Airbus has long emphasized the economic aspects of the project, noting that Germany’s Quadriga and Spain’s Halcon programs will create 7,800 direct jobs in both countries, add €6.5 billion to GDP and generate €3.6 billion in tax revenue. The corresponding figures for the Tranche 5 and Halcon II programs are 19,500 jobs, €15.3 billion and €8.2 billion respectively.
ECRS radar on Tranche 4 and Tranche 5 jets
The first Quadriga jet flight took place in conjunction with a test of the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, also known as E-Scan, on the Airbus A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA) testbed. The radar is also being tested independently in Spain, where the Spanish Aerospace Force (SASF) Typhoon was the first to fly using the new radar in December 2024.
There are three variants of ECRS: The ECRS Mk.0 is currently installed on Eurofighter Typhoons in Kuwait and Qatar. It is intended for the ECRS Mk.1, Germany’s Project Quadriga, Tranche 5 and the Spanish Halcon variant of the Eurofighter. The ECRS Mk.2, with electronic warfare and electronic attack capabilities, is being developed for the British Royal Air Force.
When you and your bestie show up to the party wearing the same clothes 🙌
Hope you don’t fall for our little clickbait 😉 This is of course a hybrid of the @DLR_EN #A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA) and the #Eurofighter. Following its first flight earlier this year… pic.twitter.com/toNdN1GFjb— Airbus Defense (@AirbusDefence) September 23, 2025
Indra and Hensoldt, who are working together on the Mk 1 variant, reported completing production of the “advanced processor and antenna power supply and control (APSC) subsystem” of the first ECRS Mk1 radar unit in June 2025. Hensoldt said the first radar model will undergo extensive certification and flight testing in ATRA’s Mk1 Step 1 phase, with series production planned for summer 2025.
ECRS Mk.1 is equipped with features such as electronic warfare capabilities, multi-channel receivers, wider scanning range, improved target recognition and improved detection range.
