HENSOLDT and Indra have announced the production of the first AESA ECRS Mk1 radars equipped with advanced subsystems for the processor and the APSC.
The ECRS Mk1, the new radar for the Eurofighters of the Luftwaffe and the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio, features a multi-channel AESA antenna and a high-end processor to enhance the capabilities of the Airbus-produced aircraft within the Eurofighter consortium.
The mk1’s architecture is designed to improve several air combat missions, including advanced “air-to-air” and “air-to-ground” capabilities, as well as electronic warfare.
The first arranged radars will be used for qualifying and flight tests in Germany and Spain, with tests planned on the ATRA, Germany’s flying test bed.
After the planned testing by 2025, HENSOLDT and Indra anticipate serial production of the Mk1 Step 1 for assembly on the Eurofighter aircraft of the Quadriga program at Airbus Defence and Space of Manching, Germany.
The ECRS Mk1 radars will also be installed on the fifteen Eurofighter EK, featuring an electronic warfare version, and air defense suppression (SEAD) under development for the Luftwaffe, as well as the Tranche 3A retrofit, and the new Tranche 5 as the German Ministry of Defense finalizes the contract with Airbus.
The first five models destined for Spain will be installed on the Eurofighter Tranche 3A serving with the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio and subsequently on the 45 total new build models of Tranche 4 round as planned by Halcon 1 and Halcon 2 programs for the replacement of some EF-18 Hornets.
Additional software updates will transform the Mk1 radar into a complete multi-role radar, which will include electronic warfare and air-to-ground tasks, reducing pilot workload while simultaneously improving system performance, computational ability and data processing capability.
Source and photo credit @HENSOLDT
