Germany's Next-Generation Quadriga Eurofighter Fighter Jet Takes First Flight.

Airbus Defence and Space flew the first Project Quadriga Eurofighter for the German Air Force on 14 July 2026 from its Manching assembly facility, launching the aircraft's certification campaign ahead of delivery later this year. The milestone marks the introduction of Germany's latest Eurofighter standard, strengthening Luftwaffe combat aviation capabilities as Berlin modernizes its tactical fighter fleet.

Aircraft 34+02 completed a one-hour Production Flight Acceptance Test (PFAT), the first in a series of evaluations required before handover to the Luftwaffe. Airbus announced the successful flight on 15 July, confirming that the maiden sortie begins the certification process for the first Eurofighter produced under Project Quadriga, Germany's program to replace aging Tranche 1 aircraft with more advanced multirole fighter jets.

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Germany's first Eurofighter built under Project Quadriga, aircraft 34+02, takes off from Airbus Defence and Space's Manching facility during its maiden Production Flight Acceptance Test (PFAT) on 14 July 2026 (Picture source: Airbus Defence and Space)

Airbus test pilot Stefan Auer evaluated the aircraft's handling characteristics, engine response, digital flight control system, hydraulic and electrical systems, and cockpit instrumentation and navigation equipment. According to Airbus, no anomalies were identified during the flight. Before the aircraft can be delivered, it must complete the full certification process, while deliveries of all 38 aircraft are scheduled to continue through 2030.

Germany ordered the Quadriga programme in 2020 to acquire 38 newly built Eurofighters, comprising 30 single-seat and eight twin-seat aircraft. These will replace the Luftwaffe's existing Tranche 1 Eurofighters on a one-for-one basis. Rather than increasing fleet size, the programme renews the force with aircraft featuring a more modern architecture that can accommodate future upgrades in software, sensors and electronic warfare.

Beyond the new radar, the Tranche 4 standard also introduces an updated avionics architecture, increased computing power and growth margins designed to support future software developments. This technological baseline is intended to allow the Eurofighter to integrate additional capabilities over time without requiring major modifications to the airframe.

The most significant technical development is the integration of the European Common Radar System Mark 1 (ECRS Mk1) active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, developed by Hensoldt and Indra. The first Quadriga aircraft will be delivered with the Step 0 configuration, derived from the ECRS Mk0 radar already fielded by Kuwait and Qatar but adapted to German requirements. They will later be upgraded to the Step 1 configuration, which introduces new computing hardware and more advanced software. The upgrade is intended to improve air-to-air detection performance, air-to-ground mapping modes and future electronic warfare capabilities.

Another major development is the Eurofighter EK programme, which will become Germany's dedicated electronic warfare configuration. The Bundeswehr plans to equip fifteen Quadriga aircraft with Saab Arexis wingtip pods as part of the Step 1 standard. Airbus is also integrating the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) for suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) missions. Together, these systems are intended to detect hostile radar emissions, improve aircraft survivability in contested electromagnetic environments and engage enemy surface-to-air defence systems. The capability is planned to replace the missions currently performed by the Luftwaffe's Tornado ECR fleet, with NATO certification targeted for 2030.

The Tranche 4 standard retains the Eurofighter's canard-delta airframe and its two EJ200 engines, each producing up to 90 kN of thrust with afterburner. This preserves compatibility with the Luftwaffe's existing maintenance infrastructure, pilot training system and weapon inventory. The principal developments are therefore concentrated in the aircraft's internal systems, including computing capacity, sensors and mission systems.

Operationally, the new standard will provide German squadrons with expanded capabilities for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA), NATO Air Policing, beyond-visual-range interception and air-to-ground missions. Compared with the mechanically scanned radar fitted to the earliest German Eurofighters, the AESA radar will enable simultaneous tracking of more targets, improved ground mapping and greater resistance to electronic countermeasures. Aircraft delivered in the Step 0 configuration will nevertheless require a later upgrade to achieve the full ECRS Mk1 standard and Eurofighter EK capability.

The Quadriga programme forms part of a broader revival of Eurofighter production in Europe. Italy has ordered 24 Tranche 4 aircraft to replace its oldest Eurofighters, while Spain is acquiring 45 under the Halcón I and Halcón II programmes to renew and expand its fleet. The United Kingdom has not placed a new domestic order but is supporting the proposed export of twenty Eurofighters to Türkiye. Together, these programmes sustain European production lines while funding the continued development of the aircraft's future radar, software and mission systems.

Germany has also ordered 20 additional Tranche 5 Eurofighters in 2025, with deliveries scheduled through 2034. Together with the Quadriga fleet, these aircraft are intended to keep the Eurofighter in frontline Luftwaffe service into the 2060s. This strategy nevertheless depends on the timely completion of certification activities, radar upgrades and the integration of future electronic warfare capabilities. The flight at Manching therefore represents an important industrial milestone, but only the beginning of the process leading to full operational capability.

The start of flight testing comes at a time when European air forces are pursuing three parallel modernisation efforts. Several countries, including Germany, Belgium, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Romania, continue to procure the F-35 to introduce a fifth-generation combat aircraft capability. At the same time, Eurofighter, Rafale and Gripen fleets are undergoing substantial upgrades intended to keep them operational for several more decades. Meanwhile, sixth-generation combat aircraft development is now centred primarily on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), led by the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan. Following the cancellation of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter programme, discussions have emerged regarding possible German participation in GCAP.

In this context, the Quadriga programme addresses both an immediate operational requirement and a longer-term force structure objective. It replaces the technologically outdated Tranche 1 Eurofighters while introducing an aircraft architecture capable of integrating future sensors, weapons and electronic warfare systems. For the Luftwaffe, the programme maintains a modern fighter force during the introduction of the F-35A, which will assume Germany's NATO nuclear sharing mission, while preserving combat aviation capacity for the coming decades. More broadly, continued Eurofighter procurement by Germany, Spain and Italy sustains Europe's combat aircraft industrial base while ensuring the availability of a modern fleet as Europe prepares its next generation of combat aircraft.