Elettronica Group is present at Paris Air Show 2019 with a wide range of solutions for Electronic Warfare (EW), cyber EW, intelligence, and the brand new generation of RWR.
Paris Air Show 2019 offered the opportunity to present the completeness of Elettronica’s offer and its recent evolution (Picture source: Air Recognition)
For almost 70 years, Elettronica has been one of the world’s top leaders in EW systems, maintaining high standards of excellence in the technological development process with cutting-edge technologies in Mutual and Self Protection.
Elettronica Group comes to Le Bourget after an intense year of market development; 2018 brought new orders for 220 M €, compared to a total portfolio of 820 M €, of which 43% in the avionics sector. During the previous year, the company continued with significant R&D investments worth almost €11 million in self-financing, to which are added further 20 M € of innovation initiatives as part of the acquired programs. At European level, the order for the Nato JEWCS (Joint Electronic Warfare Core Staff) program has a relevant strategic value. Elettronica Group will be a supplier of JEWCS for 4 years, together with Leonardo for the supply of training systems for electronic defence (“Land Training System” and “Maritime Training System”). The most important part of this order is the upgrading of the NATO training base dedicated to Electronic Warfare. Our technology will be used to train all NATO countries in the use of EW systems, with the aim of guaranteeing and maximizing the result of the operational missions through the supremacy in the field of electronic war in the operating theatre.
Elettronica is going to show SISPROS, a new system family of interception, analysis and intelligence, on the occasion of the Le Bourget show. Developed for airborne applications, SISPROS benefits from the most modern enabling technologies: Direct Sampling and Artificial Intelligence.
The combination of those two technologies makes the systems belonging to this family fully digital, highly resistant to interference, adaptive to the electromagnetic environment and reconfigurable via SW to new environments or different platforms. The increasing diffusion of unmanned avionic platforms, both tactical and HALE/MALE, has allowed to focus the technological effort of ELT, supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, in order to be able to equip this type of aircraft, leading to the development of light weight and low-impact installation solutions. In line with the latest architectural approaches of ELT products, SISPROS systems are also multifunctional and multi-platform, since they can derive the Alarm (RWR) or Surveillance (ESM, ELINT) function only, as a spin-off of the main product, by reconfiguration SW. Finally, family systems are equipped with by-design interconnectivity features, supporting the ability to operate in network-centric configuration, contributing to the integrated and global vision of the scenario.
The latest development of the RWR category of Elettronica, the ELT/162, belongs to this system family. In addition to the warning one, the product performs a light ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) function on the observed band, providing goniometry, detection, detection of received radar emissions and automatic alert in case of detection of specific signals. In support of ISR/ELINT missions, the ELT/162 can also be configured to provide detailed parameters of a designated transmitter.
Paris Air Show 2019 offered the opportunity to present the completeness of Elettronica’s offer and its recent evolution. Significant geopolitical changes and new conflicts have reintroduced complex IADS (Integrated Air Defence Systems) to address the increasingly complex RF threats in the avionics environment, highlighting current vulnerabilities and raising the standards required in modern fighter aircraft protection systems.
The previous great effectiveness of Stealth technologies are mitigated by new radar installations in dense configurations that require advanced jamming techniques, as well as adequate tactics to maintain air superiority in the battle scenario.
Edge
Several global factors are increasing the push toward the upgrade of the protection systems of modern warfighters. As mentioned above, geopolitical changes and new conflicts have reintroduced complex IADS and complex RF threats in the air environment, highlighting the current vulnerabilities of capabilities. Today, more countries are producing a large number of dense radar network. The technological improvements of these radar systems decrease the effectiveness of the traditional stealth technology, thanks to the best signal processing techniques and jamming elusion.
To meet such demanding requirements, advanced Escort Jamming techniques and appropriate tactics are required to maintain air superiority in the battle scenario. The EJ equipment’s high level performance stems on the high-performance AESA-based technology (Actively Electronically Steered Array) based on the use of gallium nitride. Through the EDGE project Elettronica Group implements technologies to equip fourth generation fighters and beyond with the latest generation EJ systems, hence the name.
The major task of the Escort Jammer is to protect the aerial formation performing an advanced assessment of the scenario through the disturbance of enemy radars. To successfully complete SEAD missions, EDGE also performs the function of ELectronic signal INTelligence (ELINT), acquiring the entire Radar Picture Compilation. To meet such demanding requirements, EDGE is designed to provide prompt interception and automatic processing of the radar environment, as well as the implementation of an adaptive power management function to ensure optimized jamming response to the multi-threat environment.
The EDGE solution adapts to the most recent and pressing needs that include the activities of SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) escort and protection to guarantee the air superiority of friendly forces, and therefore, the success of the mission. In the design and development of EDGE, Elettronica Group relies on the consolidated expertise acquired over almost 70 years of life in detecting, recognizing and disturbing opposing systems, operating on the different frequency bands.
Virgilius and Dircm
An integrated system already in use on the AMI C-SAR AW-101. It is composed of active and passive countermeasures (VIRGILIUS system) and electro-optical countermeasures (ELT 572 DIRCM). Elettronica, with the support of the AMI, has thus developed and made operational the first EW Integrated Full Protection solution in the world on a helicopter. The suite includes all the main EW functions in a single rack and same compact case (ESM, ELINT, ECM and EWM) and continues to be the most flexible platform and the most exposed both in traditional and also new conflict scenarios.
One of the most significant challenges in developing countermeasures for helicopters lies in the very nature of its defense equipment. In addition to the electro-optical and infrared sensors, separate alarm systems for missiles, radars and lasers provide information that the crews must therefore collect, select and understand. The EW Manager (ELT / 950) is based on sophisticated algorithms that support the collected data and react automatically allocating resources dynamically, identifying the best countermeasure to be applied in all operational scenarios.
The company marks the beginning of a new era in EW, through an R&D program, is finalizing the development of the new generation of the self-protection system composed of sensors and actuators distributed on the surface of the platform and integrated at the processing level. This solution is feasible only thanks to the reliance on new digital technologies (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) and new cooling techniques that allow lighter systems, with minimal impact on the platform and low power consumption.
Eurodirqm
A leading role at Le Bourget also for the newborn EuroDIRQM, a multi-platform and multi-domain system to defend against the threat of shoulder-fired missiles, already destined according to the company to a significant expected market. Based on the Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) - the latest frontier in the use of laser technology - EuroDIRQM is designed as an all-in-one, multi-mission system, to guarantee self-protection for all types of aircraft, helicopters, transport and tank vehicles up to jets. The QCL energy is generated directly in the band of interest, optimizing energy consumption. This cutting-edge technology is currently being introduced for all new generation systems in different fields.
Adrian
The Armed Forces need to equip themselves with appropriate technologies to counter the growing threat represented by the improper use of drones, in particular those of smaller dimensions, which are more difficult to intercept and neutralize with traditional instruments. With this aim, Elettronica has developed the well-known ADRIAN (Anti-Drone Interception Acquisition and Neutralization) able to operate effectively in urban, rural and in military operations theaters with the aim of protecting a site, structures of strategic importance (such as an airport, a barracks or a power plant), a public or religious event with presence of a crowd, a convoy or a military camp. Elettronica through the EW Academy also gives space to the increasing market demands for training and simulation activities for electronic warfare operators, which leverage on its unique expertise.
(Picture source: Air Recognition)
