^ Navalised Typhoon in Indian Navy colours.
Introduction
Originally proposed in the late 1990s as a potential solution to the UK Royal Navy's need for a Future Carrier-Borne Aircraft (FCBA) for its new ('Queen Elizabeth' class) aircraft carriers in January 2001, the UK Ministry of Defence formally discounted the option of a Navalised Eurofighter for its new aircraft carriers, in favour of the STOVL ('B') variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which (at that time) promised to be a capable, low cost and more stealthy aircraft that would enter into service circa 2012 – a date that tied in well with the in-service date for the new UK aircraft Carriers as it stood at that time. It was rejected by the United Kingdom on "cost effectiveness grounds".
The navalised Eurofighter (also known as 'Sea Typhoon') remained only a proposal but there has was some interest expressed by other nations, such as India, in adapting Eurofighter for aircraft carrier operations.
The proposed variant design would have enabled the Eurofighter to operate from carriers on a Short Take-Off but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) basis, using a 'ski jump' ramp for aircraft launch and arresting gear for conventional landing.
In February 2011, BAE debuted a navalised Typhoon in response to the Indian tender. The model offered was STOBAR capable, corresponding to the Indian Navy's future Vikrant class aircraft carrier. The changes needed to enable the Typhoon to launch by ski-jump and recover by arrestor hook added about 500 kg to the airframe. If the Indian Navy had pursued a catapult launch carrier, the Typhoon would have been uncompetitive against tender rivals (e.g. Rafale and Super Hornet) since meeting "... catapult requirements would add too much weight to the aircraft, blunt performance and add substantially to modification costs".
