Test flights have begun on the latest version of the £80 million Typhoon, which will be able to carry more fuel, heavier weapons and a new generation of radar.
The RAF will next year start taking delivery of 40 of the new fighters which are the third version of the Eurofighter jet.
The latest production run, called tranche 3, is designed to allow air forces to carry more powerful, longer range weapons and enough updated electronics and sensors to accommodate weapons of the future.
New RAF Typhoons will be able to carry Storm Shadow cruise missiles and also Meteor long range air-to-air missiles.
Extra fuel tanks can be fitted along the side of the plane, giving it greater range and allowing it to carry heavier payloads.
The new aircraft can also eventually be fitted with a faster, more sensitive new E-scan radar which can pinpoint more targets and control more weapons.
Upgraded electronics mean pilots will also for the first time be able to handle ground and air targets at the same time, potentially firing at ground forces while locked in a dogfight.
The Typhoon project is now the biggest industrial programme in Britain and BAE Systems, which assembles the fighters, hopes the third version will also generate sales in The Gulf and Malaysia.
The Telegraph was the first newspaper to witness test flights, which began last week at Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire, BAE’s production line and test facility for the jet.
Mark Bowman, chief test pilot, said: “It’s more than a match for anything out there on the market at the moment.”
Nat Makepeace, the pilot who has undergone forces of 9g during the test flights, said: “It’s a fantastic aircraft. It’s got absolutely exceptional handling and performance.
“It’s an honour and a little bit of an achievement to be the test pilot, but my role in this is pretty small.”
The RAF currently has 115 of 160 Typhoons on order, with 53 from the first tranche and 67 from the second tranche.
Mark Kane, BAE’s managing director for combat aircraft, said: “For casual observers the aircraft is little changed from its sleek predecessor, but it has a number of provisions that will allow it to take on additional capability in the future.”
The fighter is built by a consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian defence and aerospace companies, but jets bound for the RAF and Gulf are put together by BAE at Warton.
Construction is so sensitive that the jets are placed on floating platforms in the massive assembly hall to counter the movement of tides in the nearby Ribble Estuary.
The Typhoon project employs 6,000 people at BAE and a total of 40,000 people across the UK.
David Cameron pressed the case for a deal with the UAE during a visit to the Gulf state last month. A deal could involve as many as 60 jets and be worth more than £6bn.
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