The German Aerospace Center’s A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft has made its first test flight equipped with the nose cone of a Eurofighter Typhoon this week.
The flight, which took place from Braunschweig, Germany, on January 21, 2025 is part of a test program that will integrate a new type of radar into the Eurofighter.
One of the world’s most common aircraft, the A320 was modified by Airbus engineers in Manching, Germany, to test the AESA-MK1 (Active Electronically Scanned Array). This required modifying the corresponding front section so it could house the radar and more accurately assess performance.
To ensure that the German Aerospace Center’s (DLR’s) A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA) can accommodate its new nose and fly safely with it, engineers and mechanics from Airbus Defence and Space and its Commercial Aircraft division designed a completely new front section and reinforced the A320 airframe.
In addition to integrating the new nose, the team is installing test equipment and instrumentation in the A320 ATRA cabin, including a customized Eurofighter avionic test rig and supporting cooling and power infrastructure requirements. The flight testing campaign is expected to begin later this year.
Airbus E-Scan radar project manager Thomas Hirsch said, “We are operating the aircraft in close collaboration with the DLR and the German Armed Forces to test a new radar for the Eurofighter and bring it to maturity.”
Engineers are using the A320 ATRA as a testbed for the new radar because the aircraft is less expensive to fly and more available than a Eurofighter Typhoon. The A320 can also fly for longer than a Eurofighter. All these factors will help to speed up the radar testing and development process.
“The A320 ATRA has a significantly shorter clearance process and can stay in the air longer than a Eurofighter,” adds Hirsch.
After completion of the A320 ATRA testing, the AESA-MK1 radar will be used in the latest generation of Spanish Halcón I and German Quadriga Eurofighters. The radar will improve the Eurofighter’s capabilities in air-to-air and air-to-ground operations and equip it with electronic warfare functions.
