The Ministry of Defence has set out fresh detail on two major upgrade pathways for the RAF’s Typhoon fleet, confirming that both the Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E) package and the new electronically scanned radar remain on track for delivery before 2030.
The updates came in response to written parliamentary questions from Conservative MP James Cartlidge on 26 November.
Cartlidge pressed ministers on when the government plans to place a contract for the Typhoon’s P4E electronics upgrade, flagged in the MoD’s October announcement of Türkiye’s purchase of 20 Typhoons. Defence Minister Luke Pollard described P4E as “an essential enabler for the implementation of the next generation radar enhancement” and confirmed that work has been underway since the System Definition Contract was signed in June 2024.
The UK has been working with Germany, Spain, Italy and NETMA to finalise the full P4E capability package. Pollard said the upgrade will then move into the design, development and demonstration phase, with “delivery of the P4E package planned to take place by the end of this decade.” The four core nations have already authorised early design work to protect long-lead items and avoid delays.
In a second written answer, Cartlidge sought clarity on the timetable for procurement of the new E-Scan radar, another centrepiece of the Typhoon modernisation effort. Pollard said the UK has already invested heavily in the programme, including “over £200 million released earlier this year… following the successful completion of initial flight trials in February.”
He reiterated that Britain, alongside industry and its European partners, remains committed to fielding the radar on the RAF’s Typhoons “by the end of this decade.”
