ROME – Leonardo has won 260 million euros ($296 million) in Eurofighter radar work from Germany’s Hensoldt, meaning the Italian company now plays a major role in the three new e-scan radars underway construction for Typhoon customers.

The agreement to work on radar upgrades for Spanish and German aircraft follows the closing of a deal on January 3 for 606 million euros ($691 million) that gave Leonardo a 25.1% stake in Hensoldt, a move the company says would help him achieve leadership. in the European defense electronics market.

Hensoldt’s new contracts cover work on the European Common Radar System Mk1 E-scan radar ordered by Germany and Spain to retrofit around 130 Eurofighters in the mid-2020s.

“Leonardo will conduct development work on new broadband capabilities and supply the essential elements of the new radar’s antenna, APSC (Antenna Power Supply & Control) and its processor,” the company said in a statement.

Hensoldt is the design authority on the radar and provided German-built transmit/receive modules, while Airbus will integrate the systems.

Leonardo will seek to develop ways to better exploit German transmit/receive modules to enhance the detection range and accuracy of the ECRS Mk1.

The deal reflects Leonardo’s track record of e-scan work in Europe: it is already the design authority for the so-called Mk 0 radar ordered for 28 Kuwaiti and 24 Qatari Typhoons, which are being built by the consortium. Euroradar led by Leonardo UK in team with Leonardo Italy. , the Spaniards Indra and Hensoldt.

The German and Spanish Mk 1 is partly based on the development work carried out for the Mk 0 by Euroradar.

Leonardo is also the design authority for the Mk 2 version being developed for RAF Typhoons, which will be a step ahead of the German and Spanish versions by offering electronic attack and wideband electronic warfare capabilities.

Also new will be the ability to passively record target and threat emissions providing data that can be merged with data received by Typhoon’s Defensive Assistance Subsystem (DASS) and Pirate infrared sensor.

The UK version, which Italy has now committed to acquiring, will also be able to transmit data, while the modules will be soldered and not screwed to the antenna face, which engineers believe will improve performance.

Leonardo said his new work with Hensoldt on the Mk 1 would “enhance Germany’s land combat air capabilities”.