Hensoldt, Indra Progress Eurofighter Mk.1 AESA Radar

Hensoldt, Indra and Leonardo are preparing to begin airborne trials of the new European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk.1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar destined for use on German and Spanish Eurofighters.

Ground tests of the sensor by Indra have seen the sensor stimulated with live targets of opportunity and cooperative targets. The companies say the early results show “advantages in robustness and performance” of the sensor.

Next steps will see the radar installed on instrumented development Eurofighters and on the Airbus A320 airliner borrowed by Airbus from German Aerospace Center DLR and equipped with a Eurofighter nose for radar experiments.

The Mk.1 radar is set to equip the new-build Tranche 4 Eurofighters to be acquired by Germany and Spain, and likely the Tranche 5 aircraft also ordered by Germany. The German air force will also retrofit the radar onto its Tranche 2 and Tranche 3-model aircraft.

The milestones emerge as Airbus Defense and Space prepares to fly the first examples of the Tranche 4 Eurofighters built in Manching, Germany, and Getafe, Spain, in the coming weeks. Airbus announced the rollout of the first Spanish Tranche 4 aircraft on June 1.

With initial deliveries of the first Mk.1 radar sets to Germany and Spain planned for 2027, the Tranche 4 aircraft initially will be delivered with a variant of the Mk. 0 AESA radar fitted to Kuwaiti and Qatari aircraft—albeit fitted with a Hensoldt-produced antenna. This sensor is known as Radar Mk.1, Step 0.

“The start of the testing phase marks a key milestone in equipping the Eurofighter with an AESA radar featuring advanced capabilities that will support the aircraft’s superiority in the years ahead, said Mónica Pérez Fernández, Indra’s Eurofighter program director.

“It will become one of the most advanced airborne radars in operation and a clear example of how long‑standing collaboration between leading European companies enables faster progress and the delivery of cutting‑edge solutions to our armed forces,” Fernandez added.

The companies say the Mk.1 radar uses a multichannel AESA and high-end processors, giving the sensor advanced air-to-air and high-resolution air-to-ground modes as well as both passive and active electronic warfare capabilities.