Eurofighter aircraft to be equipped with new AESA radar technology
NewsApril 27, 2021
GERMANY. Sensor systems supplier HENSOLDT has won a contract in the frame of ‘Quadriga’ procurement program of 38 Eurofighter/Typhoon combat aircraft by the German Air Force. The contract placed by Airbus Defense and Space comprises production and delivery of radar systems and core electronics components which will be produced at HENSOLDT’s site in Ulm and at consortium partner Indra’s site in Spain.
According to the company, the new radar is based on state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology. In contrast to conventional systems with a purely mechanical rotating antenna, the radar beam is designed to be electronically controlled by multiple individual transmit/receive modules.
This principle in combination with a what the company claims to be a sophisticated multichannel receiver is intended to allow several tasks to be performed at the same time, and not one longer than the other as would previously occur when tracking individual targets while scanning a wide expanse of the airspace in front of the aircraft.
HENSOLDT officials claim the company was already involved in the development and production of the sensor systems currently used in Eurofighter aircraft. The company is also investing in the construction of a radio frequency technology development center in Ulm. In addition to electronic components for the new Eurofighter radar, AI-based sensors for a wide range of applications will also be developed there.
