Airbus Begins Regular Radar Testing With A320 Testbed

Airbus has completed commissioning flights of the German Aerospace Center's modified A320 ATRA flying laboratory and is preparing regular airborne trials of the Eurofighter E-Scan Mk1 radar. Engineers installed a Eurofighter nose section, additional data cabling, reinforced structure, cooling systems and cabin workstations to accommodate the active electronically scanned array sensor. The testbed will evaluate radar hardware, software and performance in flight before integration into German Quadriga and Spanish Halcón programme aircraft and potential later retrofits. Its commissioning confirms that the airborne laboratory is operational, not that the new radar has completed all fighter qualification activities.