Four Eurofighter countries' range requirements?

Both the F-22 and Eurofighter Typhoon were defined as air superiority fighters in the 1980’s with a Central European scenario as the most critical driver – correct me if I’m wrong.

But they went separate ways on two points – stealthiness and supercruise – due to affordability issue, although the Eurofighter Typhoon later showed it can supercruise. At what speed and altitude, carrying what, and for how long are not known, however.

Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft says:

“No official requirement for thrust vectoring (TV), supercruise or high order of ‘stealthiness’; however, TV nozzle for Eurofighter has been under private development; supercruise was ‘inadvertently’ demonstrated at high altitude in 1997 and is now common practice with operators …”

Given that Luftwaffe Eurofighters are based in Germany, I guess they would have soon crossed into the other side – a lot of deadly SAMs waiting – if they had supercruised in any Central European scenario and suspect that the Germans had the least demanding requirement on range.

Also, a transcript of the UK Parliament debate in July 1992 says that the Italians and Spaniards demanded “sufficient range to deal with threats—particularly in Africa and the middle east” because “their countries were threatened just as much from the south as from the east”.

So, what was each country’s original range requirement, and what was their final agreed number?

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http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1992/jul/09/european-fighter-aircraft

European Fighter Aircraft

HC Deb 09 July 1992 vol 211 cc604-23

Mr. Keith Mans (Wyre)

(snip)

In analysing why Herr Rühe said that Germany would not produce the aircraft, it is worth considering the original requirement. I will not reiterate the points made by the hon. Member for Motherwell, North but I will add to them. Despite the German Defence Minister’s comments, I believe that the requirement itself is more relevant today than in 1985, and not, as the Germans would have us believe, the other way round.

Built into the EFA requirement was not only the need to move out of area but sufficient range to deal with threats—particularly in Africa and the middle east. That was prompted not only by us but by the Italians and Spaniards, who said that their countries were threatened just as much from the south as from the east. If nothing else, that demonstrates the problem of analysing the German’s present position.

The Germans maintain that, because the threat has changed, there is no longer a need for such a large, long-range aircraft. However, one could argue that, as a result of the changing threat, there is a greater need for such an aircraft.