Leonardo DRS and BAE Systems engineers have installed a prototype of the European Common Radar System Mark 2 radar on a test aircraft ahead of the system’s test flight on the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The ECRS Mk2’s multifunctional array will enable the Typhoon to detect, identify and track multiple air and ground targets and engage in electronic warfare tasks simultaneously.
With the new radar system, the BAE-built fighter can locate and deny the use of an adversary’s radar with electronic jamming capabilities while staying out of harm’s way, Leonardo said.
Engineers from the two companies tested the prototype in Warton, Lancashire, for several months before clearing its installation on the BS116, a test aircraft from the United Kingdom.
According to Ross Wilson, vice president of engineering, radar and advanced targeting at Leonardo UK, the ECRS Mk2 production design is progressing in parallel with the integration work on the prototype. To date, the radar’s production design has passed all the critical design review phases, ensuring that the program will be completed on schedule, he added.
Andy Holden, director of radar delivery at BAE Systems, said that fitting the ECRS Mk2 on the test aircraft means that the Typhoon will soon receive an air defense system that the aircraft can use for several decades. According to the executive, the radar system will be flight-tested in 2024 to validate the results of previous ground-based testing conducted in the United Kingdom.
Leonardo confirmed that the radar will undergo further integration work at Typhoon’s final assembly hangar in Wharton in preparation for a flight test this year.
The U.K. Ministry of Defence awarded Leonardo and BAE a $345 million contract in July 2022 to integrate the ECRS Mk2 into the British Royal Air Force’s fleet of Typhoon aircraft.