The United Kingdom will invest $2.8 billion (£2.35) to upgrade its fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon jets and maintain it as an effective combat force for the next two decades, BAE Systems said.
“The UK Ministry of Defense has announced a GBP 2.35 billion investment in a package of new capabilities which will be equipped on Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft,” BAE Systems said in a press release on Friday.
UK Minister for Defense Procurement Jeremy Quin announced the decision at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) show which was held at the Fairford air base, the release said.
The upgrade plan “includes the delivery of the state-of-the-art European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk 2 radar and work also ensures the aircraft can integrate additional capabilities and weapons later in the decade to counter emerging threats until 2040 and beyond,” the release added.
The ECRS Mk 2 radar will further transform the Eurofighter Typhoon’s control of the air, bringing a world-leading electronic warfare capability that will allow the aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground.
It will support operations in the most challenging situations, equipping pilots with the ability to suppress enemy air defenses using high-powered jamming and engage targets whilst beyond the reach of threats.
Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin said – It’s paramount the UK remains at the fore of military capabilities to be able to deter and defend. These tech enhancements will maintain the cutting-edge capabilities of the Eurofighter and help underpin the development path towards the Future Combat Air System.
The investment will help support 20,000 jobs across the United Kingdom and will contribute to the training and deployment of a new generation of aerospace engineers, technicians and manufacturers across the country, according to the release.
Serbia Keen On Eurofighters
Serbia plans to negotiate the purchase of a squadron of 12-14 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters with the United Kingdom, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in April.
Earlier, a demonstration of the Serbian air defense capabilities, Shield 2022, was held at a military airfield near Belgrade. Over 1,000 military personnel, 300 types of weapons, more than 60 aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles of Serbian and foreign production were presented at the show.
“We have been long negotiating [the purchase of] 12 Rafales, and I am sure that by the end of this year or the beginning of the next, we will be ready to agree on the purchase of either twice six, or total 12, new Rafales; however, we are talking and waiting for negotiations on the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoons with the British side. It would also be necessary to purchase a squadron of 12-14 jets,” the Serbian president said at a press briefing after the event.
Vucic confirmed that Serbia was negotiating the purchase of 12 new Rafale aircraft with France and 12 more used Rafale aircraft with another country.
In December 2021, Vucic announced that the country’s 2020 defense budget, which amounted to over 1.1 billion euros ($1.15 billion), will be increased by another 500 million euros for the purchase of military equipment and weapons.
In total, in 2022-2023, Belgrade plans to buy about 30 helicopters, including 11 Airbus H145s, four Mi-35s, three Mi-17s, and 11 Mi-35s previously used by an EU member state.
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