The Typhoon is expected to remain in UK service until at least the 2040s. Credit: Crown/Royal Air Force.

The UK government has awarded a £453m ($609m) contract to BAE Systems, Leonardo UK and Parker Meggitt to upgrade the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets with new ECRS Mk2 radar systems.  

The investment is part of a combined package exceeding £650m announced this week, aimed at enhancing both the operational capabilities and long-term support of the Typhoon fleet. 

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As part of this upgrade, the RAF will receive 40 advanced radars, 38 new systems and modifications to two test units. 

These upgrades are intended to improve the fleet’s ability to detect, identify and track multiple targets in air and on the ground.  

The ECRS Mk2 radar is a central element of the Phase 4 Enhancement programme for Typhoon aircraft.  

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), it provides “high-powered jamming capability whilst engaging targets beyond the reach of threats.” 

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This capability will enable pilots to engage hostile targets beyond the reach of threats, even when looking in another direction, and to operate within the range of opposing air defences while remaining fully protected. 

The ongoing upgrades ensure that Typhoon remains a core component of UK combat air operations, with plans for its use extending into at least the 2040s. 

Alongside the radar contract, QinetiQ recently secured a five-year extension valued at £205m for engineering and technical support services for the Typhoon fleet.  

This contract supports both maintenance and future upgrade work, contributing to aircraft safety and airworthiness. 

These investments will sustain more than 1,300 skilled jobs in the UK through the next decade. The ECRS Mk2 work guarantees 300 positions in Edinburgh, 120 in Lancashire and over 100 in Luton.  

Across 330 companies involved in the Typhoon programme, more than 20,000 roles are supported nationally.  

Leonardo UK’s Edinburgh facility employs almost 3,000 people, with more than half working in specialist hardware, software, electronics and systems engineering roles. 

The government links these contracts to wider employment objectives set out in its Plan for Change strategy.