The edge LIDAR Thomson scattering diagnostic at the Joint European Torus fusion experiment uses a 3J ruby laser to measure the electron density and temperature profile at the plasma edge. The original system used a 1GHz digitizer and detectors with response times of 650ps and effective quantum efficiencies < 7%. This system has recently been enhanced with the installation of a new 8GHz digitizer and four new ultra fast GaAsP microchannel plate photomultiplier tube detectors with response times of < 300ps and effective quantum efficiencies in the range of ~ 13-20% (averaged over l = 500-700nm). This upgrade has enabled the spatial resolution to be reduced to ~6.3cm along the laser line of sight for a laser pulse of 300ps FWHM, which is close to the requirements for the ITER core LIDAR. Performance analysis shows that the new system will have an effective spatial resolution of up to 1cm in the magnetic mid-plane via magnetic flux surface mapping.