Leonardo shares in $51.6 million contract to upgrade radar on U.K. fighter jets
NewsJuly 17, 2017
ROME. Global defense and aerospace firm Leonardo will be included in a contract between NATO Eurofighter 2000 and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) and Eurofighter to upgrade the Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS) capabilities on the U.K.?s Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets. The two-year, 45-million-euro ($51.6 million) contract includes capability work by Leonardo, integration activities by BAE Systems, and U.K. defense ministry trials.
The terms of the contract call for the partners to upgrade the Typhoon’s "Praetorian" DASS in order to meet the Royal Air Force’s future operational requirements. The contract is part of a continuous capability upgrade to ensure the U.K. Typhoon fleet can identify and defeat known and emerging threats. Praetorian is a suite of protective electronic systems installed inside the Typhoon -- including sensors and countermeasures -- that work in concert 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 as a baseline system on the more than 500 Eurofighter Typhoons delivered to date. Most of the work on the Typhoon's new capability-enhancement contract will be performed by Leonardo at its electronic warfare center in Luton, England, while integration work and airworthiness clearances will be carried out by the Typhoon prime contractor, BAE Systems, in Warton, England.
