The Airbus A320 ATRA (Advanced Technology Research Aircraft) has completed its commissioning flights at the Airbus site in Manching, Germany, entering service as a flying test bed for the Eurofighter's next-generation radar. Fitted with a customised Eurofighter nose, the aircraft is owned by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and will support the continued development of the Eurofighter's new E-Scan radar.
The new radar, the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mk1, is an active electronically scanned array (AESA). Germany's Quadriga and Tranche 5 Eurofighters and Spain's Halcón programme jets will be equipped with it, and retrofitting operational Eurofighters is also planned. Erik Lorch, Head of the E-Scan Mk1 Programme, said the radar greatly enhances the Eurofighter's capabilities in both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. To carry the Eurofighter nose, the fuselage was reinforced, hundreds of metres of data cables were laid, and a liquid and air cooling system was installed to regulate the radar's temperature; workstations in the cabin give experts real-time access to the radar data.
The structurally modified aircraft first flew in early 2025, still without an active radar, to test its basic airworthiness, followed by extensive ground tests. During the recent commissioning flights, Airbus confirmed that the aircraft and the radar also perform effectively in the air. Sebastian Ritz, who leads the A320 Flying Test Bed Programme at Airbus Defence and Space, said this was the final step in the validation phase and the E-Scan Mk1 flying test bed is now operational. The eye-catching A320 ATRA is set to become a regular fixture on the flight line at Manching.