Cobham has been awarded a contract to provide chaff and flare defensive aids systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet tranche 3A programme.

Under the £18m contract, the company will provide defensive aids systems, which is an aircraft baseline requirement to enhance the defensive capabilities of the Eurofighter.

The chaff and flare defensive aids system consists of dispensers which release infrared flares to defeat heat seeking missiles and chaff to disrupt radar guided missiles.

Deliveries will begin in mid 2012 to sustain production of the systems until the end of 2014.

The company has delivered more than 400 chaff and flare systems for the Typhoon programme to date.