Defence Ministers from the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain today met in Edinburgh, Scotland, to witness the signing of a €1 billion contract for the development of an electronic radar system for the Eurofighter TYPHOON.
The contract, between Eurofighter Jadgflugzeug and NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), will enable the integration of CAPTOR E-Scan, one of the world’s most advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar Systems (AESA) onto the Eurofighter TYPHOON. According to Eurofighter, the fighter’s large nose aperture, combined with the ability to move the antenna, will give the Eurofighter TYPHOON greater ‘vision’ than its competitors, delivering better operational performance to the aircraft and to its weapon system.
Alberto Gutierrez, the CEO of Eurofighter, described the occasion as “a pivotal moment” in the life of the Eurofighter Programme. He said: “The signing of this contract is a massive boost to all of us and is a pivotal moment. It enhances a weapons system that offers a mix of capabilities that is simply unmatched anywhere in the world. It is something that Europe should be immensely proud of.”
Air Vice-Marshal Graham Farnell, who signed the contract on behalf of the Partner Nations, said: “The Eurofighter TYPHOON lies at the heart of NATO airpower and will continue to do so for many decades to come. This new capability will ensure the fighter remains a vital component in the mix. It’s an historic day in the life of the Programme.”
The Eurofighter consortium, along with its primary supplier, Euroradar, and a range of other suppliers across Europe, will all contribute to the integration programme helping further sustain high technology jobs across the four nations.
Andrew Cowdery, the Chairman of Euroradar, said: “We have already been working closely with Eurofighter and the Eurofighter Partner Companies on this milestone development and we are delighted that the future of this key capability has now been secured. CAPTOR E-Scan radar builds on the best know-how, industrial expertise and collaboration among leading European defence electronics companies.”
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This milestone confirms the commitment of the four Nations to provide the Eurofighter TYPHOON with the best capabilities to seize current and emerging opportunities in the export market.
Both Eurofighter and Euroradar have confirmed that the radar has significant growth potential and existing and new customers will be able to participate in tailoring the radar to meet their individual operational requirements.
“I am particularly proud of the contract signed today,, said Finmeccanica’s CEO and General Manager, Mauro Moretti. “It is further evidence of how the products and services provided by Finmeccanica Group represent cutting edge technological solutions capable of guaranteeing high performance levels in line with the best market standards. The production of the new CAPTOR-E radar will be managed, in the role of project leader of the Euroradar Consortium, by Finmeccanica-Selex ES which, together with Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi, will also jointly integrate it into the aircraft. Today’s signing represents an important step forward towards the future prospects of the EUROFIGHTER programme since the aircraft upgrade will enable it to compete more effectively on international markets.”
Airbus Defence & Space (DS) is playing a major role in the development and integration of the radar, via its Military Aircraft and Electronics business lines. “Together with our partners in the Euroradar consortium we are developing the world’s most powerful fighter radar,” said Thomas Müller, Head of the Electronics business line at Airbus DS. “This order will ensure ongoing development of radar technology, which is a core military capability in Germany.”
Berndt Wünsche, Head of Combat Aircraft at Airbus DS, stated in Edinburgh: “This decision ensures that the EURFIGHTER will continue to be the best combat aircraft available in the world. The CAPTOR-E radar will open up completely new options for deployment and will substantially improve the EURFIGHTER’s export opportunities.”
The main advantage of the CAPTOR-E is its ability to perform several tasks practically simultaneously. This means that the pilot is able to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground, while identifying ground targets or tracking individual flying objects at the same time. The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antenna, a considerably larger field of view, compared to other state-of-the-art combat aircraft.
The Euroradar consortium comprises Finmeccanica Selex ES (Great Britain, Italy), Indra (Spain), and Airbus DS (Germany). The consortium has already developed and produced more than 400 CAPTOR radars. Selex ES will produce the new radar at its facilities in Edinburgh and Nerviano (Milan) while Finmeccanica Alenia Aermacchi (Turin site), in the radar integration phase, will be responsible for the navigation systems. The Finmeccanica Group is responsible for over 60% of the electronics on board the Eurofighter TYPHOON, roughly 20% of the aerostructures, and for the training and simulation activities for both the four partner nations (United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain) and for customers in its export markets.
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| Eurofighter has signed a €1 billion contract with NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA). (Photos: Eurofighter) |
The contract, between Eurofighter Jadgflugzeug and NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), will enable the integration of CAPTOR E-Scan, one of the world’s most advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar Systems (AESA) onto the Eurofighter TYPHOON. According to Eurofighter, the fighter’s large nose aperture, combined with the ability to move the antenna, will give the Eurofighter TYPHOON greater ‘vision’ than its competitors, delivering better operational performance to the aircraft and to its weapon system.
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| Alberto Gutierrez (CEO Eurofighter) and UK Air Vice Marshall Graham Farnell. |
Alberto Gutierrez, the CEO of Eurofighter, described the occasion as “a pivotal moment” in the life of the Eurofighter Programme. He said: “The signing of this contract is a massive boost to all of us and is a pivotal moment. It enhances a weapons system that offers a mix of capabilities that is simply unmatched anywhere in the world. It is something that Europe should be immensely proud of.”
Air Vice-Marshal Graham Farnell, who signed the contract on behalf of the Partner Nations, said: “The Eurofighter TYPHOON lies at the heart of NATO airpower and will continue to do so for many decades to come. This new capability will ensure the fighter remains a vital component in the mix. It’s an historic day in the life of the Programme.”
The Eurofighter consortium, along with its primary supplier, Euroradar, and a range of other suppliers across Europe, will all contribute to the integration programme helping further sustain high technology jobs across the four nations.
Andrew Cowdery, the Chairman of Euroradar, said: “We have already been working closely with Eurofighter and the Eurofighter Partner Companies on this milestone development and we are delighted that the future of this key capability has now been secured. CAPTOR E-Scan radar builds on the best know-how, industrial expertise and collaboration among leading European defence electronics companies.”
This milestone confirms the commitment of the four Nations to provide the Eurofighter TYPHOON with the best capabilities to seize current and emerging opportunities in the export market.
Both Eurofighter and Euroradar have confirmed that the radar has significant growth potential and existing and new customers will be able to participate in tailoring the radar to meet their individual operational requirements.
- CAPTOR E-Scan radar capability will further improve the Eurofighter TYPHOON's combat effectiveness, allowing TYPHOON to continue to maintain its superiority over other available combat aircraft.
- The radar will fit both Tranche 2 and Tranche 3 aircraft offering customers the freedom to retrofit their existing Eurofighter TYPHOON aircraft when required.
- CAPTOR E-Scan radar offers a variety of benefits over the mechanical M-Scan, including increased detection and tracking ranges, advanced air-to-surface capability and enhanced electronic protection measures.
- The new radar retains the key features of the existing CAPTOR radar architecture in order to exploit the maturity of the current much acclaimed system and will use latest generation technology to execute concurrently a full complement of air-to-air and air-to-surface tasks.
- Key discriminators of CAPTOR E-Scan radar include: A very large antenna size and repositioner offering an extremely Wide Field of Regard (WFoR); the 200° field of regard, giving TYPHOON a significant tactical advantage in air combat and great situational awareness; the larger antenna allows a greater number of TRMs (transmitter receiver modules) thus greater power and reception leading to earlier target detection and greater utility across the EW spectrum.
“I am particularly proud of the contract signed today,, said Finmeccanica’s CEO and General Manager, Mauro Moretti. “It is further evidence of how the products and services provided by Finmeccanica Group represent cutting edge technological solutions capable of guaranteeing high performance levels in line with the best market standards. The production of the new CAPTOR-E radar will be managed, in the role of project leader of the Euroradar Consortium, by Finmeccanica-Selex ES which, together with Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi, will also jointly integrate it into the aircraft. Today’s signing represents an important step forward towards the future prospects of the EUROFIGHTER programme since the aircraft upgrade will enable it to compete more effectively on international markets.”
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| (left to right) Pedro Argűelles Salaverri (Spanish Secretary of State for Defence), Mr Philip Dunne (UK MP Minister for Defence Equipment, Support & Technology), Alberto Gutierrez (CEO Eurofighter), UK Air Vice Marshall Graham Farnell, Dr Katrin Suder (German State Secretary for Defence), Hon. Domenico Rossi (Italian Under Secretary of State for Defence), Norman Bone (Managing Director UK, Finmeccanica – Selex ES), Fabrizio Giulianini (CEO – Finmeccanica – Selex ES). |
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| The main advantage of the CAPTOR-E is its ability to perform several tasks practically simultaneously. This means that the pilot is able to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground, while identifying ground targets or tracking individual flying objects at the same time. The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antenna, a considerably larger field of view, compared to other state-of-the-art combat aircraft. |
Airbus Defence & Space (DS) is playing a major role in the development and integration of the radar, via its Military Aircraft and Electronics business lines. “Together with our partners in the Euroradar consortium we are developing the world’s most powerful fighter radar,” said Thomas Müller, Head of the Electronics business line at Airbus DS. “This order will ensure ongoing development of radar technology, which is a core military capability in Germany.”
Berndt Wünsche, Head of Combat Aircraft at Airbus DS, stated in Edinburgh: “This decision ensures that the EURFIGHTER will continue to be the best combat aircraft available in the world. The CAPTOR-E radar will open up completely new options for deployment and will substantially improve the EURFIGHTER’s export opportunities.”
The main advantage of the CAPTOR-E is its ability to perform several tasks practically simultaneously. This means that the pilot is able to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground, while identifying ground targets or tracking individual flying objects at the same time. The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antenna, a considerably larger field of view, compared to other state-of-the-art combat aircraft.
The Euroradar consortium comprises Finmeccanica Selex ES (Great Britain, Italy), Indra (Spain), and Airbus DS (Germany). The consortium has already developed and produced more than 400 CAPTOR radars. Selex ES will produce the new radar at its facilities in Edinburgh and Nerviano (Milan) while Finmeccanica Alenia Aermacchi (Turin site), in the radar integration phase, will be responsible for the navigation systems. The Finmeccanica Group is responsible for over 60% of the electronics on board the Eurofighter TYPHOON, roughly 20% of the aerostructures, and for the training and simulation activities for both the four partner nations (United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain) and for customers in its export markets.