Euroradar CAPTOR
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The Euroradar CAPTOR (formerly ECR-90) is a next generation mechanical multi-mode pulse doppler radar designed for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The radar is produced by the Euroradar consortium and is a development of the BAE Systems Blue Vixen radar, developed for the BAE Sea Harrier. Euroradar is lead by SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems in Edinburgh (formerly BAE Systems Avionics and Galileo Avionica) and includes EADS and Indra. The ECR-90 was renamed CAPTOR as the project passed the production contract milestone.
Each of the seven Eurofighter Development Aircraft (DA) have specific responsibilites in the test programme, Germany's DA5 and the UK's DA4 were involved in radar trials. A BAC 1-11 jet was also used for radar trials, the nose of the aircraft fitted with a Eurofighter radome.
The CAPTOR was designed for use with Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) and the Eurofighter will be fitted with the MBDA Meteor. Since the end of the Cold War the Eurofighter's mission has also moved from a primarily air-defence fighter with secondary ground-attack to a multirole aircraft. As such the radar's ground attack capabilities have been improved.
The CAPTOR radar, entering service now with the Eurofighter partner nations, will see action for at least two decades. However, work is already underway on its replacement. The Airborne Multirole Solid State Active Array Radar (AMSAR,) another European collaborative project, is produced by the British/French/German GTDAR consortium. This organisation, originally (GEC-Thomson-DASA Airborne Radar) is now made up of BAE, EADS and Thales. It is possible the radar will be ready for the Tranche 3 Typhoons or, failing that, may be incorporated in a future mid life update (MLU.)
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