The UK MoD announced a new order for 40 ECRS Mk2 multifunction AESA radars to upgrade the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoons, valued at £650 million.
The announcement on the UK Ministry of Defence’s website stated that an additional order for 40 ECRS Mk2 AESA radars, which will introduce expanded electronic warfare capabilities, has been placed for £650 million.
The UK, alongside Italy, is spearheading the development and introduction of ECRS Mk2 as a significant leap from the ECRS Mk0 radar in terms of electronic warfare capabilities.
The radar was developed jointly by BAE Systems and Leonardo UK in response to the demand from the UK for improved power output and SEAD/DEAD capabilities on Eurofighter Typhoons.
The main improvements on ECRS Mk2 when it comes to electronic warfare include adaptive beamforming to evade enemy jamming, dedicated receivers for ESM, and increased output for jamming.
Additionally, ECRS Mk2 has a reworked antenna structure combining GaN and GaAs TRMs and increasing the total TRM count compared to the ECRS Mk0.
Alongside ECRS Mk2, ECRS Mk1, as an alternative upgrade by Hensoldt and Indra, is to be adopted by Germany and Spain for their respective upgrades to the existing fleet, as well as future orders.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
