Hensoldt has been awarded a roughly €350 million ($366 million) contract to continue the development of a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for two Eurofighter partner nations.
Announcing its receipt of the award from prime contractor Airbus Defence & Space on 14 February, the German sensor specialist said work on the ECRS Mk1 programme is advancing to its next phase, “following approval by the German and Spanish Ministries of Defence”.
“The contract extension includes the delivery of test systems for the German Airbus A320 radar test aircraft, as well as revisions to the Mk1 Step 1 radar system,” Hensoldt says. “The further development represents a technological leap forward,” it adds, without providing further details.
Additionally, “The scope of services also includes an initial development phase for ECRS Mk1 Step 2,” it states.
“This E-Scan radar will enhance the capabilities of the Eurofighter in air-to-air and air-to-ground operations and also equip it with electronic warfare capabilities,” Hensoldt notes.
Combined with an Airbus-developed task-based management system, the new sensor also will “significantly reduce the workload of pilots and further increase operational effectiveness”, it says.
“Our goal is to start flight testing of the revised radar at the end of 2025,” says Frank Doengi, Hensoldt’s head of Eurofighter radar. Installation of Mk1 Step 1 sensors with the German air force’s Tranche 4 production batch of Eurofighters – 38 examples being procured via its Project Quadriga activity – “is then scheduled to begin in the course of 2027”, he adds.
Germany’s DLR aerospace research centre in late-January performed the first flight of its A320 advanced technology research aircraft equipped with a Eurofighter nose section, in advance of flight-testing with the ECRS Mk1 radar installed, scheduled for later this year.
Hensoldt’s Euroradar consortium partner Indra is leading work on the ECRS Mk1 AESA for Spain, with Airbus Defence & Space leading integration activities.
