Editing DASA (section)

==Major projects==
[[File:AGM-88 and AIM-9 on Tornado.jpg|thumb|A [[Panavia Tornado|Tornado ECR]] of the [[German Air Force]] in 1999]]

Immediately upon its creation, DASA was associated with several ongoing aircraft programmes, including the multinational [[Eurofighter Typhoon]] fighter programme, the [[Panavia Tornado]] fighter-bomber, along with various other initiatives and partnerships. The company's work on the Tornado was largely conducted via [[Panavia Aircraft GmbH]], a tri-national consortium consisting of [[British Aerospace]] (previously [[British Aircraft Corporation]]), [[Aeritalia]] of Italy, and DASA, having inherited MBB's involvement. Under this arrangement, DASA manufactured the Tornado's central fuselage on behalf of all international customers while the other partners manufactured the rest of the airframe.<ref name='segell125'>Segell 1997, p. 125.</ref> DASA's subsidiary MTU also held a 40 per cent stake in the Tornado's engine manufacturer [[Turbo-Union]], a separate multinational company formed to develop and build the [[Turbo-Union RB199|RB199]] engines for the aircraft.<ref name='segell124'>Segell 1997, p. 124.</ref><ref name= 'Wellington'>Long, Wellington. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BmAvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2dwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5323,4133149&dq=tornado+bomber&hl=en "Swing-Wing Wonder Weapon Is Going Into Production."] ''Ludington Daily News,''24 August 1976.</ref> Production of the Tornado was terminated during 1998; the final batch of aircraft being produced was delivered to the [[Royal Saudi Air Force]], who had ordered a total of 96 IDS Tornados.<ref name=Janes_241>Jackson et al. 1998, p. 241.</ref> DASA was also responsible for the mid life upgrade (MLU) of the German fleet of [[Panavia Tornado]]s, similar to the RAF's [[RAF Tornado GR4|GR4]] upgrade.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

During the 1990s, the Eurofighter proceeded towards the mass production phase, DASA holding a workshare stake in the programme. The workshare split had originally been agreed at 33/33/21/13 (United Kingdom/Germany/Italy/Spain) based on the number of units being ordered by each contributing nations.<ref name="BBCwomc">''Eurofighter: Weapon of Mass Construction'' (TV broadcast). ''BBC'', 6 July 2003 airdate.</ref> However, following order cuts during the [[peace dividend]] following the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]], the programme's workshare split was renegotiated as 43% for [[Airbus Group|EADS MAS]] in Germany and Spain; 37.5% for [[BAE Systems]] in the UK; and 19.5% for Alenia.<ref>Haertl, Ronald. [http://www.europeansecurityanddefence.info/Ausgaben/2_2005/04_EUROFIGHTER/2005,02,04,01.html "Eurofighter—A Milestone Report".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326130355/http://www.europeansecurityanddefence.info/Ausgaben/2_2005/04_EUROFIGHTER/2005%2C02%2C04%2C01.html |date=26 March 2012 }} ''European Security and Defence''. Retrieved: 3 July 2011.</ref><ref name="BBCwomc"/> On 27 March 1994, the [[maiden flight]] of the Eurofighter prototype took place in [[Bavaria]], flown by DASA chief test pilot Peter Weger.<ref name="maiden">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/27/newsid_2531000/2531051.stm "1994: Maiden flight for future fighter jet."] ''BBC News'', 27 February 1994. Retrieved: 19 March 2008.</ref> Production was divided into three tranches, these being a production/funding distinction without directly implying an incremental increase in capability with each tranche. Tranche{{nbsp}}3 was later divided into A and B parts.<ref name="FI partners sign 3A deal">Hoyle, Craig. [https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/eurofighter-partners-sign-9-billion-tranche-3a-deal-330463/ "Eurofighter partners sign €9&nbsp;billion Tranche 3A deal."] ''Flight International'' via ''flightglobal.com,'' 31 July 2009. Retrieved: 7 July 2012.</ref> In September 1998, contracts were signed for production of 148 Tranche{{nbsp}}1 aircraft and procurement of long lead-time items for Tranche{{nbsp}}2 aircraft.<ref>Chuter, Andy. "EF2000 deal firms up first batch order." ''Flight International'', 23 September 1998.</ref> In March 2008, the final aircraft out of Tranche{{nbsp}}1 was delivered to the [[German Air Force]], with all successive deliveries being at the Tranche{{nbsp}}2 standard or above.<ref>Holm, Kathryn and Martina Schmidmeir. [http://www.eurofighter.com/media/news0/news-detail/article/german-air-force-10000-flying-hours-with-the-eurofighter.html "German Air Force: 10,000 Flying Hours with the Eurofighter."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927053539/http://www.eurofighter.com/media/news0/news-detail/article/german-air-force-10000-flying-hours-with-the-eurofighter.html |date=27 September 2011 }} ''Eurofighter.com'', 16 March 2009. Retrieved: 3 July 2011.</ref>

Owing to its expertise with both German and [[NATO]] aircraft, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace provided various upgrade packages for a wide range of aircraft, such as the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]] and the [[Boeing E-3 Sentry]]. During 1993, ''MiG Aircraft Support GmbH'' was established with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace holding a 50% stake. The company undertook the upgrade of the German Air Force's fleet of 24 [[Mikoyan MiG-29|MiG-29s]] to [[NATO]] standards.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}} These fighters had been inherited from the former [[East Germany]] after the reunification of the country in 1991.