How good is the Eurofighter?

[RN7]

Does anyone have any opinion on how good the Eurofighter/Typhoon actually is as a combat aircraft?

On paper it seems an impressive aircraft and has been marketed well, and unlike the French Rafale has sold internationally in addition to the core producing nations. But to me its seems to be a highly expensive aircraft project that has delivered an aircraft in the F/A-18C class weight with very good short ranged agility, and the BVR capability of larger aircraft such as the F-15 and Su-27/30 family.

Many consider the Eurofighter to be the closest competitor at the moment to the F-22 as the world’s preeminent air superiority fighter, with advanced supercruise and stealth features and being about half as effective as an F-22, three times better than an F-15E and six times better than an F-15C. However the technical statistics of the Eurofighters body and engine design make much of that claim optimistic, and its operational radius is inferior to an F-15E and its technological superiority over older US and Russian aircraft are largely based around the current technological advantages of its BVR weapons suite, which could be quickly eroded or even neutralized by engine, sensor and weapons upgrades in opposing fighters.