Corgi Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4

Now a familiar sight in Britain's skies, the Eurofighter Typhoon is the RAF's current airspace defender and whilst the aircraft entered service in back in 2006 as a dedicated air superiority fighter, this fourth generation combat aircraft has gone on to prove itself to be much more than this. Now described as the world's most advanced swing-role combat aircraft, the Typhoon has developed into a true multi-role aircraft and arguably one of the most effective combat aircraft in service today, equally adept at undertaking reconnaissance and precision ground strike missions as it is at chasing off the latest Russian aircraft incursion into British airspace. Forming the backbone of the modern Royal Air Force, the Typhoon has been continually upgraded throughout its service life and is a far more capable aircraft today than the one which first arrived at RAF Coningsby back in 2006.In early 2010, ten Typhoons from RAF No.XI Squadron were sent to operate from Gioia del Colle Air Base in Southern Italy as part of 'Operation Ellamy', Britain's contribution to Operation Unified Protector, an international effort to enforce a United Nations resolution to protect the citizens of Libya during a bitter civil war in the country. The Typhoon's initial task was to help enforce a blanket no-fly zone, with coalition aircraft threatening to shoot down any unidentified aircraft in the zone, effectively crippling the Libyan military from mounting operations which may result in civilian casualties. Ellamy would be the first time the Typhoon had been deployed in an operational role and on 21st March 2011, RAF Typhoons completed their first combat mission, patrolling the no-fly zone in a show of strength which kept the Libyan Air Force firmly on the ground.Much of the early coalition air force effort was directed towards suppressing Libyan air defences and their command and control infrastructure, whilst dedicated interceptor aircraft mounted Combat Air Patrols to ensure the security of aircraft involved in ground operations. It soon became clear to Libyan officials that mounting air operations in the face of such a powerful opposing force was futile at bes