RAF Typhoons to get £870m advanced radar upgrade

The Royal Air Force's Typhoon fighter jet is one step closer to acquiring one of the world's most advanced radar systems, as well as additional upgrades.

Under a £870m five-year contract, awarded to BAE Systems and Leonardo UK, the Typhoon fighters will have upgraded radar capabilities and will be fitted with the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2, one of the world's most advanced radars.

The state-of-the-art radar will transform the Typhoon's control of the air and provide world-leading electronic warfare capabilities to pilots, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said.

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This will allow the aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify, and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground.

ECRS Mk2 will be integrated onto RAF Typhoon Tranche 3 aircraft and offered to other nations that operate the aircraft, boosting UK defence exports.

Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge said: "The RAF Typhoon is one of the most mission-ready and capable aircraft anywhere in the world helping protect our skies at home and abroad.

"This £870m contract award is an investment in the future readiness and preparedness of our fighter jets so that we can continue to showcase our world-leading air capability."

The radar contract will sustain 600 engineering jobs in Edinburgh, Luton, and Lancashire.

Typhoon Programme Director, Group Captain Matt D'Aubyn said: "Typhoon is the backbone of UK Combat Air, capable of completing a wide range of Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface missions.

"ECRS Mk2 will ensure Typhoon remains operationally effective in the future force mix in an ever-increasing contested environment."

Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) director general air, Vice Admiral Rick Thompson said: "This is the first of a number of contracts that will continue our journey to equip the RAF with the edge to protect our nation.

"Developing ECRS Mk2 not only provides cutting-edge capability but crucially, also ensures that advanced technical skills and expertise in delivering complex sensors are available to support the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) right here in the UK."