BAE Systems is rolling out a new family of electronic warfare (EW) systems designed to give small airborne platforms greater power to detect, deceive, disrupt, and neutralize electromagnetic threats.
Optimized for high-volume deployment and rapid integration, the Shadow EW family comprises three variants: Shadow 100, Shadow 120, and Shadow 500.
Each system is designed to meet strict size, weight, and power requirements, allowing it to fit aboard smaller platforms with limited space and onboard power.
Shadow EW also uses open architecture standards and software-defined capabilities, simplifying integration while allowing operators to install software updates in the field as threats evolve.
According to BAE, the new lineup can support missions ranging from situational awareness and platform protection to targeting, deception, and coordinated electronic attacks.
“The modern battlefield is changing at an unprecedented pace, and all platforms, regardless of size, require adaptable electronic warfare capabilities to survive,” said Rebecca Cruz, director of Shadow EW products at BAE Systems.
“Shadow EW solutions provide flexible, configurable hardware paired with iterative software updates to counter rapidly evolving threats.”
Built for High-Volume Production
BAE Systems positions Shadow EW as a response to the US Department of Defense’s push for faster acquisition and greater production capacity under its “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative.
The company will use commercial microchips to deliver high-performance computing while improving supply chain efficiency and accelerating production.
Its manufacturing infrastructure and skilled workforce will also allow the Shadow EW systems to be produced at scale while keeping unit costs low.
Production will take place at the company’s Cedar Rapids facility in Iowa, while software development and system design will be handled in Nashua, New Hampshire.
