Eurofighter EW suite

HENSOLDT (Germany) and Rafael Advance Defence Systems Ltd (Israel) are joining forces to offer a solution for the Luftwaffe (GAF, German Air Force) Eurofighter to be equipped with a readily-available and mature solution to the GAF's requirement of airborne electronic warfare capabilities (AEWC).

According to the information the solution should see its Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in 2028. On 19 October 2022, the two companies agreed to a joint endeavour to integrate and enhance Rafael's Sky Shield airborne electronic warfare pod as a mature off-the-shelf Escort Jammer (ESJ), with the latest airborne electronic attack national sensitive technology (KALÆTRON Attack) by HENSOLDT.

The new Electronic Attack (EA) pod utilizes the existing interfaces of the Litening Pod, already combat-proven on the Typhoon, thus significantly simplifying the integration efforts and saving invaluable resources.

In December 2020, in answer to Boeing’s offer to the GAF of the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, Airbus Defence and Space offered the Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon Tranche 5 as a replacement for the Tornado IDS and Tornado ECR.

However, on 14 March 2022 Germany officially announced that the Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II will be acquired to continue the nuclear task of the Panavia Tornado IDS of Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 (TLG33) at Büchel air base. It was also reported that a new Eurofighter Typhoon Electronic Combat version will supersede the Panavia Tornado ECR of Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (TLG51) at Schleswig air base.

Image via Eurofighter