Airbus has officially awarded a contract to procure Saab’s Arexis electronic warfare (EW) suite, signaling the start of its much-awaited integration on German Eurofighters.
The selection of the Swedish-made EW system for the Eurofighters was announced in June 2023, but an official deal has just been made following “further negotiations.”
Saab did not say how many Arexis suites will be supplied to Airbus, but it noted that 15 of Berlin’s Eurofighter aircraft will receive the sophisticated component.
It also disclosed that the suite will be aided by artificial intelligence (AI) for faster and more accurate detection and identification of enemy radar emitters in complex and congested electromagnetic environments.
“Combining advanced hardware and AI-enabled software, our Arexis sensor suite will strengthen the German defense with future-proof electronic warfare capability for decades to come,” Saab chief executive Micael Johansson said.
‘A Proven System’
According to Saab, the Arexis EW suite features cutting-edge sensors and self-protection capabilities to face modern threats.
It utilizes gallium nitride active electronically scanned array technology to ensure high power output, wide frequency coverage, and low latency.
The “combat-proven” system can locate and jam a wide range of radar threats, providing situational awareness to pilots and improved protection to an aircraft.
The company said its Arexis suite is a “perfect fit” for the German Eurofighters because of its modular design that allows it to be packed in different shapes and forms, depending on an aircraft’s configuration.
“Our solid experience of developing electronic warfare systems for airborne platforms and our long-standing cooperation with Airbus will be crucial to support the delivery of the Eurofighter EK to the German Air Force,” Johansson stated.
The Arexis-equipped Eurofighters are expected to be commissioned by 2030.
