EF-2000 Typhoon

History

After the failure of Operation Palaiologos in 1978, the @United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany, French Republic, and other @European NATO nations agreed to cooperative development of TSFs to replace the F-5-based Tornado-series, Mirage-series, and F-4 Phantom, as a means to strengthen the @European Union against BETA assaults. In 1980 this program began under the title of the European Combat Tactical Surface Fighter (ECTSF).

By 1985, using data obtained in Operation Palaiologos, the ECTSF program goal shifted to that of Hive infiltration capability, including combat in crowded Hive conditions and avoiding Laser-class BETA attacks with high mobility. These requirements were similar to those of the @F-15 Eagle for which development had started at the same time.

The ECTSF was originally to be a 2nd generation TSF of equal capability to the F-15, but the withdrawal of France from the ECTSF program in 1985, due to their disagreement regarding the type of main engine for the ECTSF's jump units to be used, delayed development according to the original schedule and specifications. Due to the combat successes of the F-15 and American attempts to export the Eagle, participating countries began to doubt the purpose of the ECTSF program, leading to the suggestion of West Germany's withdrawal in 1986. With the brunt of development taking place in Britain, the EU announced that the ECTSF would shift to a high-mobility-oriented 3rd generation machine in 1987.

Several ESFP (Experimental Surface Fighter Program) prototypes were produced for technical demonstration in 1994; their high performance in actual combat under the banner of the Rain Dancers Squadron managed to convince the ECTSF's contributing countries to remain part of the program. These models were used for continued development until pre-production trials started in 1998, and production deployment of the EF-2000 finally started in May, 2000.

The Typhoon is equipped with sharpened components, made from Super Carbon, on a large number of parts across its body, including the head, forearms, shoulder armor, knee armor, and feet, aspects that aid during high-speed maneuvering in combat against BETA, particularly in dismembering Tank-class that stray too close. The head, shoulder, and forearm blades in particular also function as aerodynamic control surfaces, improving its mobility. In another similar design trait to Soviet TSFs, it has a forehead bow for main sensor protection. Like other 3rd generation TSFs, its Jump Units use Super Carbon wings, improving their damage resilience. Because of these close-combat capabilities, it was suspected that the @Empire of Japan offered technical assistance for the ECTSF in the form of 3rd generation TSF frame data, due to its similar research requirements for its own 3rd generation TSF development, but the truth of this claim remains unknown.

Deployment

The ESFP would first be used as part of the UN forces in @Europe by the Rain Dancers Squadron, under the auspices of the UK government, to demonstrate the capabilities of the ESFP in combat. From November, 1985 up until as late as May 25th, 2001, the ESFPs of the squadron engaged in combat against the BETA alongside the armed forces of other nations, proving the ESFP's worth in the heat of combat.

As a production unit, the EF-2000 Typhoon has been adopted by much of the @European Union, including West Germany's Bundeswehr, the @United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain, as of 2001.

In contrast, the French Army's counterpart to the EF-2000 is the Rafale, which they developed after the withdrawal of French involvement from the ECTSF program.