A new testing capability is giving British forces the chance to evaluate Defense Aid Systems (DAS) under real flight conditions before they are installed on military aircraft.
Built by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in partnership with QinetiQ, “EREBUS” takes DAS out of laboratories and into the sky, acting as a flying testbed to evaluate systems in environments that cannot be replicated on the ground.
The platform is designed to uncover early system issues and fine-tune configurations before integration onto operational aircraft.
It also supports spiral development, allowing manufacturers to introduce upgrades more rapidly and extend that capability across the UK and its allied partners.
By testing aircraft defense systems before actual integration, EREBUS helps avoid costly failures and reduces overall program risk.
Several DAS have already been fitted to EREBUS for initial trials, including the Elix-IR infrared threat warning system from Thales and the SAGE radar warning and electronic support measure from Leonardo.
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Beyond de-risking, EREBUS could help reduce costs by enabling full-system testing without pulling active military aircraft from operational duties.
The capability has already attracted interest from NATO and European partners, with the UK exploring potential opportunities to share development costs with allies in the future.
The system first took flight in October 2025, with further trials planned.
