Airbus has completed commissioning flights of its A320 ATRA flying test bed, which is now operational for testing the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mk1 (ECRS Mk1). The aircraft, owned by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and modified by Airbus Defence and Space, flew the validation programme at Airbus’s Manching site in Germany. The flights confirmed that the aircraft and radar can operate effectively together in the air; they do not signify completion of the radar’s development or deployment.
The A320 will provide a platform for testing radar hardware, software versions and features. Workstations in its cabin allow specialists to monitor radar data and equipment performance in real time. To accommodate the system, engineers reinforced the fuselage to carry a customised Eurofighter nose, installed hundreds of metres of data cabling and added liquid- and air-cooling systems.
The ECRS Mk1 is intended for Germany’s Quadriga and Tranche 5 Eurofighters and Spain’s Halcón aircraft. Airbus also identifies retrofits of aircraft already in service as a future application. The company did not disclose the number or dates of the commissioning flights, or detailed results from the radar tests.