Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide

Aerospace Defence Security

UK MCA upgrades to Leonardo's Osprey radar

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will upgrade to Leonardo’s latest Osprey radar to support missions such as search and rescue, border protection, fishery and pollution patrols.

Above: UK MCA coastguard King Air with Leonardo Seaspray radar.
Image courtesy Leonardo

The Osprey 30 radar will be installed on-board the two customised Beechcraft King Air aircraft provided to the UK MCA by UK-based aviation services company 2Excel.

Currently, the UK MCA is operating Leonardo’s Seaspray 7300E radar, which has been employed to great effect in support of regular fishery and pollution patrols around the UK.

Advertisement
Teledyne

The radar comes equipped with Leonardo’s patented small target detection capability, allowing it to spot shipwrecked individuals in the water at long range, even in the most difficult environmental conditions and sea states. Additionally, the radar provides the ability for MCA crews to identify oil spills and rogue polluters at very long range, day or night.

2Excel will build on this success by equipping the MCA King Airs with Leonardo’s second generation Osprey radar, the latest entry in its range of E-scan surveillance radars. Osprey benefits from all of the capabilities of the Company’s Seaspray family whilst also adding additional modes and optimised overland and coastal imaging capabilities. This makes the radar ideally suited to mixed environment operations, such as along the coast.

Traditionally, coastguard aircraft have used radars with restricted fields of view and limited detection capabilities, making searches laborious and resource-intensive. Leonardo’s radars solve these problems. The Company is a world leader in E-scan, also known as AESA (Active Electronically-Scanned Array) technology, which uses a matrix of hundreds of tiny radar modules to ‘steer’ an electronic beam, rather than mechanically moving the radar to point at a target.

Advertisement
ODU RT

With a Leonardo E-Scan radar, crews can lift off, scan in 360 degrees and almost-instantaneously detect, track and classify hundreds of maritime contacts, allowing crews to quickly task cooperating aircraft to deeply search an area of interest. Other E-scan advantages include extremely high reliability, as the radar can continue to operate effectively throughout a mission even if a number of its individual radar modules fail. Customers in 30 countries have selected Leonardo’s E-scan radars including the Seaspray and Osprey families, with the US Navy procuring the Osprey 30 radar for its Fire Scout unmanned helicopter programme.


 

Bombardier’s paint facility at Biggin Hill set for 2026 opening

Aerospace

Bombardier’s paint facility at Biggin Hill set for 2026 opening

14 July 2025

Bombardier's development of a new 51,000 sq. ft. paint facility at the London Biggin Hill Service Centre is progressing with several key processes completed, including ground stabilisation and foundation work on the hangar.

AAIB launches investigation into incident at Southend Airport

Aerospace

AAIB launches investigation into incident at Southend Airport

14 July 2025

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has started an investigation into an incident near Southend Airport on Sunday 13th July, involving a 12-metre plane that crashed shortly after take-off.

First electric flight lands at Gatwick

Aerospace

First electric flight lands at Gatwick

14 July 2025

The first ever electric flight to land at London Gatwick took place last Thursday as part of the VINCI Airports Network Elektro Tour.

Airframe Designs appoints new Advisory Board chairman

Aerospace

Airframe Designs appoints new Advisory Board chairman

14 July 2025

Aerospace specialist Airframe Designs has appointed David Roberts as the new chairman of its Advisory Board, as it continues to expand its services in engineering and additive manufacturing to the aviation and related sectors worldwide.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Birmingham Airport unveils terminal upgrades

Aerospace

Birmingham Airport unveils terminal upgrades

14 July 2025

Birmingham Airport (BHX) has unveiled its latest terminal investment as it opened extended boarding gate lounges.

Frequentis enhances Gatwick

Aerospace

Frequentis enhances Gatwick's departure efficiency

14 July 2025

London Gatwick has deployed the Frequentis Departure Manager (DMAN) system that went into full network mode on 23rd June 2025 as part of Gatwick’s Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) programme, which is connected to the EUROCONTROL Network Manager, enabling better coordination across European airspace.

Advertisement
ODU RT