BAE Systems and Leonardo UK have secured an £870M contract to upgrade radar capabilities on the RAF Typhoon.
The five-year contract will see the RAF Typhoon jets equipped with one of the world’s most advanced radar systems, while additional upgrades will ensure the jet can counter emerging threats.
Last year, some £2.35Bn was committed 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 European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2. 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 £2.35Bn programme will sustain around 1,300 UK engineering job over the next ten years. With the £870M 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.
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 £870 million 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.”
As well as delivering ECRS Mk2, the overall £2.35Bn 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.
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.”
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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BAE Systems ECRS Mk2 Leonardo radar RAF Typhoon
Post written by: Vicky Maggiani
Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.
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