Typhoon jets to receive ‘cutting-edge’ radar upgrade
Defense Secretary John Healey is set to announce that the Royal Air Force will invest £453 million to equip Typhoon fighter jets with advanced radar systems and secure up to 1,300 jobs across the UK.
Mr Healey will confirm the signing of the contract during his visit to Leonardo UK’s Edinburgh facility on Thursday morning.
The upgrade, which involves defense firms BAE Systems, Leonardo UK and Parker Meggitt, will install the latest radar technology in the coming years.
This work directly secures 300 roles in Edinburgh, 120 in Lancashire and 100 in Luton as part of the wider Typhoon program supporting more than 20,000 jobs across 330 UK companies.
This announcement comes as pressure on NATO increases as US President Donald Trump announces his intention to purchase Greenland.
Mr Healey said: “Our Typhoon fleet is the backbone of UK and NATO air defense and is operated by the Royal Air Force and our allies to protect our skies and security across Europe.
“As the threats we face increase and Russian drones continue to strike Ukraine and violate NATO airspace, this cutting-edge radar capability will keep the UK safe at home and strong abroad for many years to come.
“We support more than 20,000 skilled workers in Edinburgh and across the UK on the Typhoon programme, ensuring our RAF remains ready to protect Britain.”
Earlier this week the Government announced a £205 million contract from QinetiQ to provide long-term specialist Typhoon engineering support.
He said this week’s combined investments showed defense was a “growth engine” that could create skilled jobs and strengthen national security.
Mr Healey added: “With more than £650 million of investment this week alone, our government has supported high-skilled work, created jobs in Britain and made defense the engine of growth in Scotland and beyond.
“This huge workforce will survive for years to come, following the £8bn deal we signed with Türkiye in October, the biggest fighter jet export deal in a generation.”
The latest contract will see RAF Typhoons fitted with 40 advanced European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 radars, including 38 new systems and modifications to two test systems.
The radars will detect, identify and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground simultaneously.
The government said the technology will enable the RAF to maintain operational advantage in contested environments by providing high-power jamming capability when attacking targets beyond the reach of threats.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said: “This £453 million contract to build state-of-the-art radar systems for Typhoon fighter jets shows how vital Scottish expertise is to the UK’s national security and why Scotland is recognized globally as a center of defense excellence.
“This upgrade to the RAF fleet – employing 300 people at Leonardo in Edinburgh and many more across the supply chain – is the latest in a string of impressive defense dividend gains for Scotland.
“The UK Government is transforming our defense sector into an even stronger engine for growth, because when we support our service personnel and Scottish industry, we keep ourselves and our allies safe, while providing skilled jobs and growth for communities and workers.”
Mark Stead, Leonardo UK’s senior vice president of radar and advanced targeting, said: “ECRS Mk2 is not just an outstanding radar; it is equipped with advanced electronic surveillance and electronic attack capabilities that will make the RAF’s Typhoons more powerful against their rivals and adapt to new and unpredictable threats.
“This contract secures 300 highly skilled jobs at Leonardo’s Edinburgh site and 100 at our Luton site.
“As well as supporting more than 71 UK-based suppliers, we hope the ECRS Mk2 will be more widely adopted by other Typhoon export users given its advanced capabilities against current and future threats.”
The UK Government has committed to continuing to develop RAF Typhoons as part of its strategic defense review, and the aircraft will continue to protect British skies until at least the 2040s.
