Eurofighter Typhoon jet to get new one billion euro radar

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain have through their Eurofighter project signed a 1 billion euro (0.83 billion pound) contract to provide their jointly backed Typhoon jet with a new sort of radar, in an effort to secure new orders. The fighter is produced by Eurofighter partner companies BAE Systems , Airbus and Finmeccanica , and BAE said it signed a contract worth 365 million pounds ($572 million) to integrate the new radar onto the jets. Under the deal signed in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday the Typhoon jet will in future be available with the "Captor E-Scan radar". The four countries, which had already funded the initial development of the advanced radar, believe that the new radar will help the fighter jet secure new orders from other countries. "This will give Eurofighter Typhoon one of the most advanced radar systems in the world providing a wider field of regard than any other combat aircraft. Other benefits include increased detection and tracking ranges, advanced air-to-surface capability and enhanced electronic protection measures," BAE said in a statement. Eurofighter lost out on a $20 billion deal to sell 126 jets to India in 2012. While Saudi Arabia and Oman have ordered Typhoons, Eurofighter suffered a major blow last year when United Arab Emirates quit talks over a possible 6 billion pound order. Royal Bank of Canada analysts said a new radar for Typhoon would "close a performance gap against most other western-made fighter jets". Eurofighter's chief executive Alberto Gutierrez said the addition of E-Scan to the jets represented a "pivotal moment" for the project, providing a weapons system which is "unmatched". "This milestone confirms the commitment of the four nations to provide the Eurofighter Typhoon with the best capabilities to seize current and emerging opportunities in the export market," the Eurofighter Typhoon statement said. E-scan radar has an extended range, faster tracking and multiple targeting. It has been developed by the Euroradar group, on which Selex, the defence electronics unit of Italy's Finmeccanica, is a major contractor. BAE said trials of the jet with the new radar had already started. "From the outset, the aircraft was built with capability enhancement in mind and this step is proof that we are developing Typhoon to keep it relevant for today and for the future," BAE Systems managing director of combat air Martin Taylor said in a statement. (1 US dollar = 0.7967 euro) (1 US dollar = 0.6380 British pound) (Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton and Keiron Henderson)