Germany’s Hensoldt Sensors is further enhancing the capabilities of the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mark 1 under a contract extension worth about $365 million from Airbus Defence and Space. Called ECRS Mk1 for short, the system will be installed on the Eurofighter aircraft that Airbus is building for the German and Spanish air forces.
Hensoldt said the radar features an E-Scan design to boost the Eurofighter’s air-to-air and air-to-ground operations and provide the aircraft with electronic warfare capabilities.
Cockpit Workload Reduction
With the extended contract, radar test systems will be delivered to the German test aircraft Airbus A320 D-ATRA, along with revisions to its Mk1 Step 1 radar system. In addition, the contract extension will initiate the development phase for ECRS Mk1 Step 2 aimed at significantly easing pilots’ workload in the Eurofighter cockpit and further boosting operational efficiency.
Frank Dongi, Eurofighter Radar’s head, said the revised radar’s flight testing is geared for launch at the end of 2025, while the Mk1 Step 1 installation on the German Quadriga Eurofighters is scheduled to begin in 2027.
“The contract extension ensures the development of an air-certifiable, robust Eurofighter Mk1 radar for Germany and Spain,” he stressed.
The extended contract represents a significant portion of orders totaling $1.45 billion that Hensoldt received between October 2024 and January 2025, according to a recent company report.