The UK Ministry of Defence signed a five-year contract worth 870 million pounds with BAE Systems and Leonardo UK to equip the advanced European Common Radar (ECRS) Mk2 on the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 fighter fleet.

Following the announcement made last year at the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), where London committed to investing 2.35 billion pounds in several Typhoon upgrades, this is the first contract awarded from that significant investment and will lead to the completion of the development and integration of the ECRS Mk2.

This next-generation radar will transform Typhoon’s air control, providing world-leading electronic warfare capability that will allow the aircraft to detect, identify, and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground simultaneously. It will be integrated into the RAF’s Typhoon Tranche 3 aircraft and offered to other countries that operate these aircraft, boosting the UK’s defence exports.

BAE Systems leads the design, development, manufacturing, and upgrade of the Typhoon aircraft for the UK, and Leonardo is responsible for the aircraft’s main detection and survival systems, including its radar and defensive aids subsystem.

ECRS Mk2 Radar

The ECRS Mk2 will support operations in the toughest situations, equipping pilots with the ability to suppress enemy air defences using high-power jamming and attack targets while staying out of threat range. According to the manufacturer, the emission power, the number of transmitter/receiver modules, and its open architecture software, make the ECRS Mk2 the most advanced fighter radar in the world.

A prototype of the next-generation radar is currently undergoing specialized testing at BAE Systems’ facilities in Warton, Lancashire. The work is expected to lead to the initial flight tests in 2024.

The 40 British Typhoon Tranche 3 will be upgraded with the new radar, with the option to also upgrade the previous Tranche 2 with it. The Typhoon fighter fleet modernization program was previously outlined by the UK Ministry of Defence in its 2021 – 2031 Defence Equipment Plan, which details the roadmap for its Armed Forces modernization strategy.