Defence Secretary has announced an investment of £40
million to improve the defence of the Typhoon sustaining over 100
British jobs.
The contract, announced at today’s Airpower Conference in London,
has been awarded to UK-based company Leonardo and will upgrade
the aircraft’s Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS).
The DASS will upgrade the way the aircraft protects itself from a
full range of threats, including enemy aircraft and missiles
launched from the ground, enabling it to continue carrying out
successful missions like protecting Britain’s skies as part of
Quick Reaction Alert and defeating Daesh in Iraq and Syria as
part of Op Shader.
Running over a two year period, the contract will sustain 65
high-value jobs at Leonardo’s site in Luton, as well as 41 jobs
at BAE Systems in Warton, Lancashire.
The contract comes as Royal Air Force pilots test advanced
weapons and software upgrades for the Typhoon.
Defence Secretary, Sir said:
Our Armed Forces face ever-evolving threats so we must invest
in cutting-edge technology to ensure they can operate in
hostile theatres. Our growing Defence budget and £178 billion
equipment plan makes this possible; giving UK forces the
defences they need to protect them, their kit and the people of
Britain.
The RAF’s Typhoon jet is already a state-of-the-art combat
aircraft that protects the UK both at home and abroad, but
today’s announcement is a clear example of how it is being
continually enhanced and upgraded so it remains as effective
tomorrow as it is today.
The Typhoon, which provides a Quick Reaction Alert to help
protect the UK, is expected to operate in a range of hostile
environments with the Defensive Aids Sub System providing a set
of self-defence sensors and countermeasures which detect and
evaluate potential threats and automatically deploy the most
effect countermeasure.
Chief Executive Officer at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and
Support organisation, Tony Douglas, said:
This contract is the product of close cooperation between MOD
and Industry and comes at an incredibly productive time for
Typhoon which has also seen a new package of advanced weapons,
software and avionics enhancements being tested by Royal Air
Force pilots.
This upgrade will ensure Typhoon can identify and defeat known
and emerging threats and shows that the MOD is committed to
ensuring our Armed Forces have the best equipment and
technology available to them.
The Defensive Aids Sub System includes Electronic Support
Measures, missile warning, on-board electronic countermeasures
and towed radar decoys.
The Typhoon force is currently operationally based at RAF
Coningsby in Lincolnshire, RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland and the
Falkland Islands.
