RAF Typhoons are to be equipped with next generation
radar thanks to a £317 million investment, Defence Minister
today
announced.
The new contract will secure over 600 jobs and make sure the UK
remains at the forefront of radar technology development.
The RAF is also one step closer in bringing its ORCUS technology
into force, which can jam radio signals from drones and has
already been successfully deployed during drone sightings at
airports.
Confirming the news at the Defence Procurement, Research,
Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) 2020 event, the Minister,
said:
It is vital that our Armed Forces are equipped with the latest
technology to counter emerging threats from our adversaries.
Today we announce the investment in the latest in radar
technology for our fighter jets and pioneering new defence
systems to counter threats from drones. This demonstrates our
commitment to maintaining security in the air whilst supporting
highly-skilled jobs across the UK.
Typhoon radar
Typhoon aircraft will be equipped with next-generation radar
thanks to £317 million investment that will allow it to locate,
identify and suppress enemy air defences using high-powered
jamming.
The integration of the new European Common Radar System (ECRS)
Mk2, which is based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
technology, will provide a capability edge in the increasingly
contested battlespace.
Currently fitted with mechanically-scanning radar, the Typhoon is
designed to be continuously upgraded to meet operational demand
no matter the challenge or threat. The ECRS Mk2 will allow the
aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify and track multiple
targets in the air and on the ground in the most challenging
environments.
Planned to be in service by the mid-2020s, the radar development
programme will sustain hundreds of highly skilled jobs, including
more than 300 at Leonardo’s Edinburgh site and 100 at their Luton
site; 120 at BAE Systems’ site in Lancashire and 100 at their
site in Dunfermline, Fife; and 50 at sub-contractor Meggitt in
Stevenage.
Counter-drone technology
The Royal Air Force’s SYNERGIA counter-drone research and
development programme has reached a significant milestone with
the ORCUS counter-drone capability achieving initial operating
capability (IOC). IOC was achieved after ORCUS completed
successful testing of a full range of integrated detect, track,
ID, and defeat technologies.
Vital to protecting UK air bases from hostile drone activity,
ORCUS will enable the RAF to evaluate a range of capabilities
including advanced radar, electro-optic and radio frequency
sensors, plus an electronic attack countermeasure. The device
looks similar to a camera module placed on top of a tripod,
allowing for unparalleled versatility in operations.
The technology is part of the RAF’s Counter-Unmanned Aerial
System (C-UAS) research and development programme with Leonardo
to establish the most effective way to detect, track, identify
and defeat hostile drones.
Elements of Leonardo’s C-UAS equipment played a supporting role
in RAF Force Protection in 2018 and 2019, following drone
sightings at Gatwick and Heathrow airports, allowing airport
operations to resume.
The current phase of the programme, which started in 2019,
supports more than 50 highly skilled jobs with over 20 at
Leonardo, with the primary integration work undertaken at its
Basildon and Southampton sites and real-time testing taking place
at several MOD locations within the UK.
