1970s
- 1972
- Royal Air Force (RAF) issues Air Staff Target 396 (AST-396), a requirement for a STOVL aircraft to replace the Harrier and Jaguar fleets.
- AST-403, specification revised for an air superiority fighter. STOVL requirement dropped and AST-409 lead to the development of Harrier GR5.
- Mid-1970s
- France, Germany and UK initiate the European Combat Aircraft programme (ECA).
- 1979
- Following differing requirements (particularly French requirement for carrier compatibility,) BAe and MBB propose the European Combat Fighter (ECF)
Read more about this topic: Timeline Of The Eurofighter Typhoon