The Superior Know-how Analysis Plane was modified with the Eurofighter’s nostril to help testing of the ECRS Mk.1 AESA radar.
Airbus and the German Aerospace Heart (DLR) have reached one other milestone with the modified Airbus A320 Superior Know-how Analysis Plane (ATRA) lately flying in its Preliminary Operational Functionality (IOC) configuration, after the primary flight earlier this 12 months. This will probably be used to validate the airframe design and help integration of the European Frequent Radar System (ECRS) Mk.1 on the Eurofighter Storm.
The plane, immediately recognizable for its Eurofighter radome put in the nostril, will probably be used as a devoted flying testbed to speed up the maturity of the brand new Energetic Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The radar, collectively developed by Hensoldt and Indra, is about to equip future Luftwaffe and Spanish Air Pressure Typhoons acquired below the Quadriga and Halcón procurement packages.
Whenever you and your bestie present as much as the social gathering in the identical outfit 👀We hope you didn’t fall for our little clickbait 😉 That is in fact the hybrid of the @DLR_EN #A320 Superior Know-how Analysis Plane (ATRA) and a #Eurofighter. Following the primary flight earlier this 12 months,… pic.twitter.com/toNdN1GFjb
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) September 23, 2025
Notably, in the course of the first flight within the new configuration, the ATRA was joined by a German Eurofighter from Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 73 “Steinhoff.” One other plane flying as chase captured some photographs of the ATRA and Eurofighter collectively.
From A320 Airliner to Eurofighter Surrogate
The A320 D-ATRA is the most important member of DLR’s analysis plane fleet and has been used since 2008 for a broad vary of tasks, together with aerodynamics, avionics, airframe habits, security ideas, and engine testing. In late 2024, Airbus engineers at Manching retrofitted the plane with a very new nostril part designed to host the ECRS Mk.1.
As we reported earlier right here at The Aviationist, pictures of the modified A320 first surfaced in December 2024, displaying the weird profile created by the addition of Eurofighter-inspired radome. Airbus defined that groups from each Airbus Defence and House and Airbus Industrial Plane divisions collaborated to hold out the complicated modification work, which required reinforcement of the ahead fuselage to accommodate the brand new construction.
Thomas Hirsch, Vice President and Program Supervisor of the E-Scan Mk.1 Built-in Undertaking Crew at Airbus Defence and House, described the hassle saying the brand new radome was “handcrafted by an unimaginable performant group,” emphasizing the position of Airbus websites at Manching and Toulouse, along with DLR in Braunschweig.
The A320 now serves as a surrogate check platform to collect radar efficiency knowledge, validate integration ideas, and refine avionics earlier than set up on frontline Eurofighters. Based on Airbus, this setup permits engineers to scrupulously consider the AESA know-how “in real-world circumstances.”
Why an A320 As a substitute of a Storm?
The selection of a business airliner because the radar testbed displays each operational effectivity and programmatic wants. The timelines required for the clearances and endurance of the platform are essential elements when planning for a check marketing campaign.
“The A320 ATRA has a considerably shorter clearance course of and may keep within the air longer than a Eurofighter,” defined Hirsch in Airbus’ official statements. This supplies prolonged flight durations in comparison with the Storm, which interprets into extra complete knowledge assortment and sooner iteration cycles.
Testing within the precise flight atmosphere, fairly than in laboratory rigs alone, can be key, as many features can’t be simulated within the laboratory. Airbus stresses that this strategy permits validation “significantly earlier, faster and with an extended period” than would in any other case be potential.
Finally, the usage of the A320 ATRA is predicted to considerably speed up radar improvement timelines. An analogous strategy can even be utilized by the UK for the ECRS Mk.2, with an Avro RJ100 modified by BAE Techniques and QinetiQ for the set up and testing of the brand new radar.
In the meantime, Eurofighter plane are additionally starting to fly check missions with the brand new system. In December 2024, a Spanish Storm carried out the primary flight with the ECRS Mk.1 from Airbus’ Getafe facility.
The ECRS Mk.1
The AESA radar household is designed to exchange the Eurofighter’s legacy Captor-M mechanically scanned radar, delivering expanded capabilities in air-to-air, air-to-ground, and digital warfare roles. The European Frequent Radar System contains three essential variants:
ECRS Mk.0 – equipping Kuwaiti and Qatari Typhoons.
ECRS Mk.1 – developed by Hensoldt and Indra for Germany and Spain.
ECRS Mk.2 – developed by BAE Techniques and Leonardo for the UK, including superior digital warfare and digital assault capabilities.
The Mk.1 variant, which will probably be examined with each the A320 ATRA and Spanish Typhoons, integrates a brand new digital multichannel receiver and leverages Hensoldt’s experience in radar antenna and processing programs. Based on the builders, the repositionable AESA array affords a large sight view, considerably improved detection and monitoring vary, and the flexibility to conduct simultaneous multi-mode operations.
In comparison with the Captor-M, the E-Scan is “extra responsive, extra agile, and with a higher functionality,” in line with BAE Techniques’ description of the broader household. The electronically steered modules can reposition the array inside a millisecond, lowering pilot workload whereas bettering situational consciousness.
Towards Operational Deployment
Following the IOC flights and subsequent testing phases, Airbus and DLR plan to put in extra gear aboard the A320, together with a Eurofighter avionic check rig, cooling and energy programs, and cockpit interfaces to simulate Storm circumstances. This may allow end-to-end integration testing of the radar with consultant avionics and pilot shows.
The ECRS Mk.1 is predicted to enter service by mid-decade, representing one of the important sensor upgrades for the Eurofighter. Along with future enhancements below the Section 4 Enhancement (P4E) package deal, the radar will make sure that Europe’s main multirole fighter stays aggressive in opposition to evolving threats, whereas additionally forming the technological bridge towards sixth-generation fight plane packages.
