An unusually modified Airbus A320, fitted with the nose section of a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet, has successfully completed its final flight tests at Airbus’ facility in Manching, Germany. The aircraft is now ready for operational use as a flying laboratory dedicated to testing and further developing the next generation of radar systems for the Eurofighter.

The aircraft in question is the Airbus A320 ATRA (Advanced Technology Research Aircraft), owned by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which has been adapted in cooperation with Airbus to test the Eurofighter Common Radar System Mk1 (ECRS Mk1). The new radar is based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, which provides significantly enhanced capabilities for detecting and tracking targets in both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.

The new radar system will equip future German Eurofighters ordered under the Quadriga and Tranche 5 programmes, as well as Spanish aircraft from the Halcón programmes. Airbus also plans to retrofit the new radar into part of the existing operational Eurofighter fleet, further enhancing the aircraft’s combat capabilities and extending its operational relevance.

To adapt the A320 for its new role, extensive structural and technical modifications were carried out. The forward fuselage was reinforced to accommodate the distinctive Eurofighter nose radome, while hundreds of metres of data cables and liquid and air cooling systems were installed to maintain appropriate operating temperatures for the radar equipment.

The passenger cabin has been transformed into a research environment with several workstations where specialists can monitor radar performance in real time, analyse collected data and oversee the operation of individual hardware and software components. This configuration allows new functionalities and software versions to be tested under actual flight conditions without requiring a fighter aircraft to serve as the primary test platform.

The first flight of the modified A320 took place in early 2025, when the radar was not yet active. The initial tests focused primarily on verifying the aircraft’s flight characteristics and airworthiness following the structural modifications. Extensive ground testing followed, during which the radar system and its integration with the research platform were evaluated.

During the latest test flights in October 2026, it was confirmed that both the aircraft and the installed radar performed successfully under actual flight conditions. This marked the completion of the final validation phase, and the E-Scan Mk1 flying test bed has now officially become operational.

According to Airbus, the use of a dedicated airborne test platform will accelerate radar system development, enable more detailed performance analysis and facilitate the gradual introduction of new capabilities. The A320 ATRA will therefore become a regular sight at Airbus’ Manching facility, where it will play an important role in the continued modernisation of one of Europe’s most important multirole fighter aircraft.