German Pilots Achieve Record-Breaking Flight with Eurofighter.

On July 27, 2024, at 10:37 AM, a remarkable feat took place on the sidelines of the military exercise "Rimpac." The German Air Force celebrated a world record. A Eurofighter team kept their combat aircraft in the air for over ten hours, covering approximately 8600 kilometers from Japan to Hawaii in 10.31 hours. According to the Bundeswehr, this required five in-flight refuelings. The pilots landed at Hickam Air Force Base in Pearl Harbor and celebrated their record.
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The Eurofighter is a multi-role fighter aircraft used by several countries, including Germany. (Picture source: Wikimedia)

Typically, combat aircraft are stationed within a relatively close radius of their operational area. Some countries use aircraft carriers to bring planes as close as possible to the target area. However, the recent Eurofighter flight demonstrates that, theoretically, a distant mission can be directly reached with in-flight refueling.

25,000 soldiers are participating in the Pacific exercise. The flight was part of the "Rimpac" exercise, a segment of the large-scale training series "Pacific Skies" currently underway. Training activities are also taking place in Alaska, Japan, Australia, and India. More than 30 German aircraft, including fighters, helicopters, transport, and refueling planes, will participate until mid-August. The French and Spanish Air Forces are also involved. The exercises include low-altitude flight, air attack, air defense, and in-flight refueling.

The "Rimpac" exercise in the Indo-Pacific involves German ships joining the world's largest naval exercise. Low-altitude training also includes precision bomb drops by the German Air Force in Alaska. The center of global politics now focuses on the rivalry between the United States and China for influence in the Pacific, as explained by Bernhard Zand.

Overall, "Rimpac" is significantly larger, involving approximately 25,000 soldiers from 29 nations, with 40 ships, three submarines, and more than 150 aircraft and helicopters. This exercise, held every two years since 1971 under US leadership, is the largest of its kind globally. The training includes submarine and mine hunting, air defense, and combat exercises.

The Eurofighter is a multi-role fighter aircraft used by several countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Jointly designed and produced by Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, this aircraft is capable of performing various combat missions.

The Eurofighter can have a crew of one or two people, depending on the configuration. It is powered by two EUROJET EJ200 engines, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 2,495 km/h and cover a maximum distance of 2,900 km. The aircraft has an empty weight of 11,150 kg.

In terms of avionics, the Eurofighter is equipped with a Human Machine Interface (HMI), Direct Voice Input/Output (DVI/O) system, as well as HOTAS (Throttle And Stick) and VTAS (Voice Throttle And Stick) controls. It also features CAPTOR mechanical scan radar and AESA radar, along with Passive Infra-Red Airborne Tracking Equipment (PIRATE).

Regarding its dimensions, the Eurofighter is 15.96 meters long, with a wingspan of 10.95 meters and a height of 5.34 meters. These characteristics make the Eurofighter a high-performance and versatile fighter aircraft, capable of adapting to various aerial combat scenarios.

The German government has recently emphasized the crucial importance of security cooperation with so-called value partners in the Indo-Pacific region.