London, April 1, 2026, 14:10 BST
Britain has confirmed BAE Systems won a contract to supply and integrate new air-defence radar systems in a programme the government says will help clear the way for more offshore wind. The public naming came in a written parliamentary answer on March 31, after ministers outlined the broader radar upgrade earlier in March. 1
The timing matters because London is trying to expand wind capacity without blurring the air picture the RAF uses to watch UK skies, even as it sends extra air-defence kit and troops to the Middle East. Ministers say the wider radar upgrade could unlock up to 10 gigawatts of offshore wind and begin installation from early 2029. 2
The work sits inside NJORD, an RAF programme run through Defence Equipment and Support. Procurement papers say the aim is to protect what the ministry calls the Recognised Air Picture, the radar-based picture used to spot non-cooperative aircraft and other activity in UK airspace, as large wind farms start to degrade coverage. 3
A contract award notice published on March 25 named BAE Systems Surface Ships Limited as contractor on the first NJORD call-off competition, valued the deal at 95 million pounds excluding VAT and said it was signed on Feb. 26 after a restricted contest that drew four bids. The notice also included two one-year extension options. 3
For BAE, the work adds to a stack of air-defence orders. In January, Britain handed BAE and Leonardo a 453 million-pound Typhoon radar upgrade contract, and last week the Pentagon said BAE and Lockheed Martin would quadruple output of THAAD interceptor seekers in a production push that also involved Honeywell. 4
BAE has been telling investors this is not a short burst. Chief Executive Charles Woodburn said in February that a “new era” of defence spending was opening up and that the company was “well positioned,” after the group posted a record 83.6 billion-pound backlog and forecast 7% to 9% sales growth for 2026. 5
The same strain is showing up across businesses tied to BAE. MBDA, the missile maker owned by BAE, Airbus and Leonardo, said on March 26 it expected to lift total output by 40% this year, and Chief Executive Eric Beranger said “further work is underway” as the Iran crisis added to pressure on Western stocks. 6
Still, the radar award shows how slow some of this spending can be. The government has not identified the radar type, citing security and commercial concerns, and the systems are not due to start going in until 2029, leaving time for delay before the wind projects they are meant to unblock move from contract to construction. 1
BAE also sits inside Britain’s export drive. Defence firms including Leonardo UK, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Martin-Baker are supplying parts and training gear for Turkey’s Typhoon programme, underlining how the UK’s biggest defence contractor is tied to both domestic orders and allied rearmament. 7
