New radar ensures superiority of the Eurofighter

The Eurofighter will be equipped with a new generation of radar which will enhance the aircraft’s capabilities and substantially improve the pilots’ ability to survive.

During a meeting of the defence state secretaries of the Eurofighter nations (Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain) held in Edinburgh, representatives of Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH and NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) signed a 1 billion euro contract to develop a new, electronically scanned radar, the so-called “Captor-E”.

Airbus Defence and Space is playing a major role in the development and integration of the radar, via its Military Aircraft and Electronics business lines.

The main advantage of the Captor-E is its ability to perform several tasks practically simultaneously.

This means that the pilot is able to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground, while identifying ground targets or tracking individual flying objects at the same time.

The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antenna, a considerably larger field of view, compared to other combat aircraft.

The new radar is being developed by Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH and the Euroradar consortium comprising Selex ES (Great Britain, Italy), Indra (Spain) and Airbus Defence and Space (Germany).

The consortium has already developed and produced more than 400 Captor radars.