Defence Ministers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain met in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday 19th November to witness the signing of a €1bn contract for the development of a world-leading electronic radar system for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The contract, between Eurofighter Jadgflugzeug GmbH and NETMA, the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), will enable the integration of Captor E-Scan, the world’s most advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar System (AESA) onto the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The fighter’s large nose aperture, combined with the ability to move the antenna, will give the Eurofighter Typhoon greater ‘vision’ than its competitors, delivering better operational performance to the aircraft and to its weapon system.
Alberto Gutierrez, the CEO of Eurofighter, described the occasion as “a pivotal moment” in the life of the Eurofighter Programme. He said: “The signing of this contract is a massive boost to all of us and is a pivotal moment. It enhances a weapons system that offers a mix of capabilities that is simply unmatched anywhere in the world. It’s something that Europe should be immensely proud of.”
Air Vice-Marshal Graham Farnell, who signed the contract on behalf of the Partner Nations, said: “The Eurofighter Typhoon lies at the heart of NATO airpower and will continue to do so for many decades to come. This new capability will ensure the fighter remains a vital component in the mix. It’s an historic day in the life of the Programme.”
The Eurofighter consortium, along with its primary supplier, Euroradar, and a range of other suppliers across Europe, will all contribute to the integration programme helping further sustain high technology jobs across the four nations.
Andrew Cowdery, the Chairman of Euroradar, said: “We have already been working closely with Eurofighter and the Eurofighter Partner Companies on this milestone development and we are delighted that the future of this key capability has now been secured. Captor E-Scan radar builds on the best know-how, industrial expertise and collaboration among leading European defence electronics companies”.
This milestone confirms the commitment of the four Nations to provide the Eurofighter Typhoon with the best capabilities to seize current and emerging opportunities in the export market.
Both Eurofighter and Euroradar have confirmed that the radar has significant growth potential and existing and new customers will be able to participate in tailoring the radar to meet their individual operational requirements.

Eurofighter Typhoon prress release