The German Defense Procurement Office (BAAINBw) selected Saab’s Arexis sensor suite as the preferred solution for the German electronic warfare (EW) variant of the Eurofighter. At this stage, Saab has not yet signed any contracts or received any orders for it.
The BAAINBw evaluated products from European and international EW (electronic warfare) suppliers, considering aspects such as performance, integration and route to certification, having finally chosen Saab’s Arexis system to upgrade 15 of its Eurofighter fighters to the electronic attack version.
“We welcome this decision and look forward to proceeding with the next steps. Arexis is the perfect match for Germany’s electronic warfare requirements for the Eurofighter” says Anders Sjöberg, head of Saab Germany.
Saab’s offer states that the company will carry out most of the work at its facilities in Bavaria, Germany, together with its partner Helsing, specialists in artificial intelligence (AI).
«The war in Ukraine proves that EW plays a critical role in peer warfare – and it is becoming increasingly dynamic through the use of software. The selection of the Saab-Helsing solution for the Eurofighter shows the German government’s commitment to the sovereign processing of data – and the role of AI – as an essential component of modern EW.» – Dr Gundbert Scherf, Helsing co-founder and co-CEO.
Eurofighter EW
The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) plans to take 15 of its Eurofighters and equip them with the necessary sensors and equipment to enable them to perform electronic warfare and suppression/destruction of enemy air defense (SEAD/DEAD) missions, replacing the Panavia Tornado ECRs.
The upgrade and modification to Eurofighter EW will be completed by 2028, revolutionizing the fighter’s reconnaissance and self-protection capabilities thanks to its AI-based cognitive electronic warfare capabilities.
Helsing’s AI platform, integrated into Saab’s Arexis system, will enable it to analyze radar data collected onboard the aircraft and generate accurate self-protection countermeasures against modern enemy radars in milliseconds.
This new capability enhancement will also provide the basis for continuous iteration and development cycles that will allow EW capabilities to be upgraded at software speed throughout the system’s lifecycle.
AREXIS
Saab’s Arexis Electronic Warfare (EW) suite provides crucial situational awareness. It is a modular and scalable system, which can be fully integrated on board an aircraft, in a mission module or as a payload on an unmanned vehicle, providing defensive and offensive electronic warfare capabilities.
It uses high-power GaN gallium nitride active electronically scanning array (AESA) technology-based jamming systems, state-of-the-art ultra-wideband receivers and digital radio frequency memories (DRFM), to neutralize enemy anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems. The Arexis system can integrate auxiliary electronic warfare pods, offensive weaponry and advanced decoy systems such as the Spear EW.
The Arexis electronic warfare system was tested and is in service on Gipen E/F aircraft.
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