BAE Systems has miniaturized its electromagnetic attack (EA) hardware into a compact, airborne system capable of delivering mass disruption effects from the sky.
In recent trials with the US Air Force, the prototype EA system was mounted on a weapon pod of a test aircraft representing Group 4-5 drones.
Instead of building everything from scratch, the company leveraged proven software, highlighting its ability to quickly field a capable prototype that can interfere with enemy command networks.
The modular EA system can be adapted to multiple platforms including collaborative combat aircraft, rotary-wing platforms, ground vehicles, and even surface vessels.
This gives warfighters a flexible, low-cost electronic warfare solution capable of supporting a wide range of missions, acting as a force multiplier alongside the US Air Force’s EA-37B.
“We’re showing the armed services that we can scale down our high-performance EA hardware and repurpose it for smaller nodes on the network,” Rory Duddy, program director for Modular Electromagnetic Attack at BAE Systems, said.
“We’re innovating to deliver a cost-efficient mix of exquisite and affordable capabilities that work together to deliver a discriminating effect on the battlespace.”
Future-Proof Solution?
BAE’s EA solutions are built with modular hardware and software-based radios, enabling rapid upgrades and integration of new applications from other vendors.
This approach extends their service life and allows them to keep up with evolving air defenses, reducing the need to create new hardware for each new threat.
Designed to meet US open architecture standards, the systems rely on off-the-shelf materials to reduce manufacturing costs.
