- RAF Typhoon fighter jets to be equipped with one of the world’s most advanced radar.
- Additional upgrades will ensure jet can counter emerging threats.
- Supporting the Government’s priority to grow the economy this contract sustains 600 UK engineering jobs in Edinburgh, Luton and Lancashire.
Following last year’s announcement at the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), in which Defence committed to a £2.35 billion investment to several upgrades for Typhoon, this is the first contract allocated from that major and complex investment and will see the completion of the development and integration of the ECRS Mk2.
The state-of-the-art radar will transform the Typhoon’s control of the air, bringing a world-leading electronic warfare capability which 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.
Supporting the Government’s priority to grow the economy, the £2.35 billion programme will sustain around 1,300 UK engineering job over the next 10 years. With the £870 million contract making up more than 600 highly skilled jobs across the country, including 300 at Leonardo’s site in Edinburgh, 100 electronic warfare specialists at the company’s site in Luton, and 120 engineers at BAE Systems’ site in Lancashire.
ECRS Mk2 will support operations in the most challenging situations, equipping pilots with the ability to suppress enemy air defences using high-powered jamming and to engage targets whilst beyond the reach of threats.
A prototype of the state-of-the-art radar is currently undergoing specialist testing at BAE Systems site in Warton, Lancashire. This contract builds on that solid foundation, progressively turning that prototype equipment into a capability: a path that includes initial flight testing in 2024.
As well as delivering ECRS Mk2, the overall £2.35 billion investment includes the integration of the new radar onto Typhoon and delivery of a range of additional complementary upgrades and which together ensures Typhoon will continue to remain a potent weapons capability and enable it to counter emerging threats until 2040 and beyond.
The radar is a prime example of the UK’s world-leading onshore technology, being developed by Leonardo UK in Edinburgh and Luton and integrated by BAE Systems in Warton.
The Typhoon programme supports more than 20,000 jobs across all regions of the UK every year, contributing £1.4 billion to the economy annually.
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