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Airbus has completed the first flight of a Tranche 4 Eurofighter.
The aircraft, destined for the German Air Force as part of the country’s 38-strong Quadriga program order, took to the skies on July 14 in Manching, Germany, Airbus announced.
Test pilot Stefan Auer flew it for an hour to evaluate the aircraft’s flight characteristics, engine performance, flight control system, hydraulics and electrical systems.
Three of the four Eurofighter partner nations—Germany, Italy and Spain—have placed orders for Tranche 4 fighters.
Germany and Italy will use the new aircraft to replace their Tranche 1 models, while Spain, which has ordered 45 Tranche 4s, will use them to supplement and strengthen its front-line combat fleet. Italy has ordered 24 of the type. The UK has not ordered the new model, but has led a campaign in Turkey for the sale of 20 Tranche 4s there.
The purchases are part of a renaissance for the Eurofighter, triggered by a slew of orders and a development and testing effort aiming to engender new capabilities to support emerging missions and future-proof the four-nation fighter.
Deliveries of the Quadriga aircraft will begin this year following type certification, with the remainder being delivered through 2030, Airbus said.
Among the 38 are 30 single-seaters and eight twin-seaters. As well as the 38 Quadriga aircraft, Manching will also build 20 Tranche 5 platforms that were ordered in 2025 and will be delivered through 2034. The first Tranche 4 for Spain was rolled out in June and began engine runs at the beginning of this month, with its first flight expected imminently.
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