UK commits £204.6m to Typhoon’s future radar

The UK Government has released £204.6m of funding towards the production and integration of an advanced new radar for the latest Royal Air Force (RAF)’s Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

The state-of-the-art radar, known as the ECRS Mk2, will transform 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.

The latest funding secures the critical elements required to manufacture the radar, along with its integration on to the aircraft by BAE Systems and Leonardo UK, and comes ahead of a full rate production expected later in 2025.

Richard Hamilton, Managing Director – Europe & International at BAE Systems’ Air sector, said: “This commitment to the continued evolution of Typhoon’s capability ensures the RAF maintains its operational advantage. It also sustains the UK’s sovereign combat skills enabling Typhoon to secure our skies into the future.”

Mark Hamilton, Managing Director Electronics UK, Leonardo, said: “With modern conflict demonstrating the central importance of electronic warfare to combat operations, we are proud that the UK’s onshore combat air industry is the first in Europe to offer a radar with embedded electronic warfare capabilities through a multi-functional array, with development running several years ahead of other international efforts.”

Lyndon Hoyle, Head of Typhoon Delivery Team, Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) said: “The UK’s commitment to these long-lead packages in support of series production reflects the growing confidence in the progress being made by UK Industry in developing this state-of-the-art radar and growing maturity of the system design.

“With initial production radars due to become available from 2028, the race is now on to get them integrated as soon as possible through the four-nation Eurofighter programme and deliver the battle-winning capability into the hands of the war fighter.”

The latest funding for the programme follows a successful programme of flight testing and extensive ground-based testing of an ECRS Mk2 prototype radar which concluded at BAE Systems’ site in Warton, Lancashire in February.

The funding will directly support 1,300 jobs across UK industry in radar development and integration on to Typhoon including 400 at Leonardo and more than 300 at BAE Systems, predominantly in Scotland and the North West of England.

The radar is developed and manufactured by Leonardo in Edinburgh and Luton and integrated onto the Typhoon aircraft by BAE Systems in Lancashire.

The value of export sales for Typhoon is more than double the UK’s investment of £12bn since the start of the programme, with the potential of more to come. In the North West of England, BAE Systems employs around 5,000 people directly on the Typhoon programme, which supports in excess of 20,800 jobs in the UK economy as a whole.