Leonardo has welcomed a contract between NETMA and Eurofighter for a Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS) capability upgrade for the UK’s Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets. The two-year, €45M (£40M) contract, which includes capability work by Leonardo, integration activities by BAE Systems and Ministry of Defence trials, will see the Typhoon’s ‘Praetorian’ DASS upgraded in order to meet the Royal Air Force’s future operational requirements. The contract is part of a continuous capability upgrade to ensure UK Typhoons can identify and defeat known and emerging threats.

Praetorian is a suite of protective electronic systems installed inside the Typhoon, which includes sensors and countermeasures, that seamlessly work together to defend the jets from a variety of threats. Leonardo leads the EuroDASS consortium (which also includes HENSOLDT, Elettronica and Indra) to provide the Praetorian system, which is a baseline system on the more than 500 Eurofighter Typhoons delivered to date. A majority of the UK’s new capability enhancement contract will be carried out by Leonardo at its electronic warfare centre in Luton, UK, while integration work and airworthiness clearances will be carried out by the UK’s Typhoon prime contractor BAE Systems in Warton, UK.

More than 599 Typhoon jets have been ordered, most recently by Kuwait who contracted with Leonardo in 2016 to procure 28 aircraft. Kuwait will receive the latest (P3E) standard of the Typhoon which will include the Praetorian DASS.

Overall, Leonardo provides more than 60 percent of the avionics for the Typhoon, including leading the consortia responsible for providing the aircraft’s radar and infrared search and track (IRST) system. The company is responsible for around 36% of the Typhoon’s overall programme value, which includes parts of the aircraft’s structure, avionics and on-board electronics.

Press release Leonardo

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