Hensoldt Secures €350M Contract Extension for Eurofighter Mk1 Radar

Hensoldt has been awarded a €350 million contract extension to further develop the Eurofighter Mk1 radar following approvals from the German and Spanish Ministries of Defence.

The contract, commissioned by Airbus Defence and Space, aims to advance the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mark 1 (ECRS Mk1), an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designed to enhance air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic warfare capabilities.

The Eurofighter Typhoon, produced by Airbus for the German and Spanish air forces, will receive the upgraded ECRS Mk1, developed by Hensoldt and Indra Sistemas. The contract extension includes test systems for Germany’s Airbus A320 D-ATRA radar test aircraft and revisions to the Mk1 Step 1 radar. Additionally, an initial development phase for ECRS Mk1 Step 2 has been launched, integrating the Airbus Attack & Identify system to optimize pilot workload.

Frank Döngi, Head of Eurofighter Radar, stated that flight testing of the revised radar is planned for late 2025, with installation on Germany’s Quadriga Eurofighters set to begin in 2027. The upgraded radar incorporates new multi-channel receivers and broadband transmit-receive modules, improving target recognition, electronic protection, and electronic attack functions.

The ECRS Mk1 radar will also benefit from the Eurofighter Typhoon’s larger nose, allowing for a more powerful antenna and wider detection range compared to other AESA radar systems. Key features include a ±90° field of view, ultra-high resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, enhanced missile guidance, and air-to-ground modes such as ground-moving target indication (GMTI). The upgrade ensures future expandability and compatibility with all Eurofighter Typhoons from Tranche 2 onwards.