The UK government has announced a £453 million investment to equip Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets with advanced radar systems, securing hundreds of skilled jobs across Britain. Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the deal during a visit to Leonardo UK's Edinburgh site on Thursday.
The investment will fund 40 new European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2 radars for RAF Typhoons, aiming to keep British pilots ahead of adversaries with enhanced detection and jamming capabilities. The contract secures at least 300 highly skilled jobs in Edinburgh for the next decade, with additional roles protected in Lancashire and Luton.
Addressing staff at Leonardo UK, Healey said: «I'm able today to confirm a half-billion-pound investment in your new radar system. The majority of that work will be here in Edinburgh that will secure at least 300 jobs for the next decade and more.»
Advanced capabilities
The new ECRS Mk2 radar draws on a decade of development work at Leonardo UK. Healey explained the system's capabilities: «What we're announcing and backing today draws on the work that's gone over the last decade here to develop what is world-beating. But I judge this is the point that we must start to manufacture so that we keep our planes, our pilots, ahead of adversaries. What this means is that your new radar system on our UK Typhoon jets means our pilots and our planes will be able to detect, to identify, to track multiple targets simultaneously in the air and on the ground. They'll also be able to jam the most advanced enemy systems.»
The contract includes 38 new radar systems and two modifications to existing test systems. The ECRS Mk2 is equipped with advanced electronic surveillance and electronic attack capabilities designed to counter current and future threats.
Jobs across UK sites
The investment secures 300 positions at Leonardo UK's Edinburgh facility, 120 jobs in Lancashire, and more than 100 roles in Luton. Mark Stead, senior vice-president of radar and advanced targeting at Leonardo UK, said: «ECRS Mk2 isn't just an exceptional radar – it's equipped with advanced electronic surveillance and electronic attack capabilities which will make RAF's Typhoons more potent against their adversaries, adapting 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 over 71 UK-based suppliers, we hope ECRS Mk2 will see wider adoption by other Typhoon export users given its advanced capabilities against current and future threats.»
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander highlighted the significance for Scotland: «This £453 million contract award to build state-of-the-art radar systems for Typhoon fighter jets shows just how vital Scottish expertise is to the UK's national security, and why Scotland is globally recognised as a centre of defence excellence. This upgrade to the RAF fleet – sustaining 300 jobs at Leonardo in Edinburgh and many more in the supply chain – is the latest in an impressive line of defence dividend wins for Scotland. The UK Government is transforming our defence sector into an even more powerful engine for growth, because when we back our service personnel and Scottish industry, we keep ourselves and our allies secure whilst delivering skilled jobs and growth for communities and workers.»
Growing defence pressure
The announcement comes amid growing pressure on NATO, with US President Donald Trump stating his intention to acquire Greenland. Earlier this week, the government awarded a £205 million contract to QinetiQ for long-term specialist Typhoon engineering support.
RAF Typhoons, which Healey previously described as the «backbone of UK and Nato air defence», are set to continue protecting British skies until at least the 2040s. The UK government committed to continue upgrading the aircraft fleet as part of its strategic defence review.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
