€1.5+ Billion for New Eurofighter AESA Radar
HENSOLDT has been awarded a contract by Airbus Defence and Space to develop and produce a new active electronic scanning array (AESA) radar for the German and Spanish Eurofighter fleets, the company announced on 1 July.
The project is jointly financed by the Eurofighter partner nations Spain and Germany, who will also be the first users of the radar. Following budget approval by both governments, contracts worth over €1.5 billion have now been signed.
“The fact that Germany and Spain are taking a pioneering role in the modernization of the Eurofighter is a signal of confidence in European defence cooperation,” said HENSOLDT CEO, Thomas Müller. “This decision ensures that our armed forces will continue to be able to fulfill their mission in the future while being protected in the best possible way.”
The contracts cover German-Spanish development of core components of the Eurofighter radar – including a digital multi-channel receiver and antenna transmitter/receiver modules – and the equipping of approximately 130 Eurofighter Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft. The development is being carried out by a Spanish-German industrial consortium under German leadership, with the support of Eurofighter nations Great Britain and Italy.
HENSOLDT has already been involved in the development and production of the Eurofighter sensor technology currently in use. At its radar centre in Ulm, HENSOLDT currently employs 2,200 people, and in the Eurofighter radar sector alone, the company expects to create 400 highly qualified jobs over the entire programme period. The company is also investing around €15 million in the necessary capacity expansion, primarily at the Ulm site.
