The Saab company of Sweden announced that it received an order from Airbus Defense and Space to equip the future Eurofighter EK fleet of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) with the Arexis electronic warfare (EW) sensor suite.. The extension period of this contract runs from 2022 to 2024.
This process began in June 2023, when the German Defense Acquisition Office selected the Arexis sensor suite for this aircraft, which corresponds to an electronic warfare variant of the Eurofighter fighters currently in service with the Luftwaffe. In the current operation, it is expected to work on 15 aircraft destined to perform electronic warfare missions in order to replace the Panavia Tornado ECR.
In this context, Micael Johansson, CEO and President of Saab, declared: “Our strong experience in developing electronic warfare systems for airborne platforms and our long-standing cooperation with Airbus will be crucial in supporting the delivery of the Eurofighter EK to the German Air Force. Combining advanced hardware and AI-enabled software, our Arexis sensor suite will bolster the German defense with a future-proof electronic warfare capability for decades to come.”.
According to the Swedish company, Arexis provides superior situational awareness in a complex signal environment with active electronically scanned arrays (AESA), provides self-protection in all directions with state-of-the-art ultra-wideband receivers and digital memories. radio frequency (DRFM), and is capable of neutralizing the anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) bubble with support jamming and escort from modern anti-wildlife radars.
The new Eurofighter EK is expected to receive NATO certification in 2030, replacing the Panavia Tornado ECR in the SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) role. With the new systems, the Eurofighters EK will be able to detect, locate and disable anti-aircraft radars. An artificial intelligence solution will also be included that would allow onboard radar emissions data to be analyzed and quickly determine precise self-protection measures.
Images of: Saab and USAF included.
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