Typhoon makes history in Libya with first combat mission

A pair of British F2 Typhoon aircraft took off from southern Italy on their
first patrols to enforce the UN-imposed no-fly zone over Libya.

Around a dozen of £70 million supersonic jets have been assigned to take part
in the international efforts designed to keep Colonel Gaddafi’s air force
grounded.

The aircraft, usually based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, have been
stationed at the Gioia del Colle airbase in the heel of Italy for the
operation.

Capable of flying at twice the speed of sound at 65,000ft, the Typhoon is
designed as a specialist in mid-air “dogfights”.

Equipped with long-range and short-range missiles for use in air-to-air
combat, its role will not be to bomb targets on the ground.

First conceived in the late 1970s, the Eurofighter programme – involving
Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain – finally came to fruition four years ago
with the first batch of Typhoon jets.

Britain now has 70 Typhoons but has ordered 160 and may eventually have more
than 230 as part of a £37 billion commitment which repeatedly overran.

Although four Typhoon aircraft have been deployed to the Falkland Islands as a
Quick Reaction Alert force since October 2009, yesterday’s patrol was the
first operational deployment in a war zone, the Ministry of Defence
confirmed.

David Cameron signalled the military landmark telling the Commons that the
Typhoons would now be "within 25 minutes' flying time from the Libyan
coast".

On 17 August 2007, the Typhoon first demonstrated its capabilities,
intercepting a Russian Tupolev TU-95 Bear and escorting away from British
airspace.