Saab & Helsing: What is important for the Eurofighter EK

The Bundeswehr is facing a landmark selection decision for the successor to the Tornado ECR. This offers the Air Force a double opportunity: With the most modern technology for the Eurofighter, it can both achieve state-of-the-art reconnaissance capability in today's electromagnetic spectrum in the short term and also have a continuously expandable solution for the challenges of tomorrow at its disposal in the medium and long term. The companies Saab and Helsing offer the Air Force such an upgrade in their partnership.

By 2028, the Eurofighter EK can be enabled for Electronic Warfare (EK) missions - Saab and Helsing have jointly developed a marketable upgrade for the Eurofighter EK, combining precise sensor electronics with a state-of-the-art data processing chain. The combination of leading hardware and software delivers the desired information sovereignty in the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). The solution is available on the market, sovereign and easy to integrate, but it is also future-proof thanks to a modular AI software approach. The two companies combine their complementary skills in a partnership in order to uncompromisingly increase system performance and also ensure the ability to grow in the medium to long term. And that is exactly what is important now, since the pressing challenges in the EK, such as the fine-grained clarification and localization of agile and innovative emitters, will require new answers again and again in the future.

Complete reconnaissance in the electromagnetic spectrum from day 1

Aerial warfare takes place in three-dimensional space - as does electronic combat. A picture of the situation that takes this three-dimensionality into account is therefore indispensable for successful reconnaissance and work in the EK. Saab's EK sensor system "Arexis" fulfills this highly demanding task with, among other things, broadband interferometers. These contribute to the uninterrupted, high-resolution acquisition, digitization and evaluation in the EMS around the aircraft.

Based on this design, it is also possible to detect threats that are difficult to detect (so-called LPI emitters, low probability of intercept) using AI-based software modules. The high-precision three-dimensional measurement makes it possible to determine the opponent's position and to use a suitable effector. Especially with jamming (EA), in addition to the position of the emitter, the recorded radiation characteristics are of immense importance for successful work. Pulse-accurate jamming is central to a confrontation that is won or lost in a matter of seconds. For this purpose, Arexis uses gallium nitride-based AESA antennas with high radiating power - the ability to capture the EMS remains unrestricted. This in turn allows for effect analysis and adjustment of the chosen jamming technique. Arexis can also control other effectors (e.g. an external jamming pod) or instruct them (e.g. AARGM).

Arexis was developed in close cooperation with the Swedish Air Force to effectively counter current and future threats in the EMS. The modular structure of the hardware and software allows the system to be used flexibly and for approval on other platforms such as e.g. B. to configure the Eurofighter. In the course of the adaptation to the Eurofighter, Saab will transfer the system expertise for Arexis to the Saab location in Nuremberg and fully support the system from there.

Close cooperation between industry, officials and the Air Force will be decisive in order to maintain national sovereignty and for the further increase in capability in the EK in the operation of the Eurofighter EK. The official side and the Air Force will be able to rely on a national system house network in southern Germany with Airbus in Manching as the integrator, Saab in Nuremberg, Helsing in Munich and other German companies, which covers all relevant systems for the Eurofighter EK in a coordinated manner.

Sophisticated, future-proof AI capabilities for cognitive EK

It will be crucial that the solution is still state-of-the-art in the 2030s. For a solution that is also sustainable in the medium and long term, the successor to the Tornado ECR must therefore meet all current and future challenges in electronic combat - especially the rapid spread of modern, software-based emitters. It is also necessary to be able to evaluate one's own impact on its success. In addition to state-of-the-art sensor electronics and powerful jammers, real-time AI-based software solutions are now required along the entire data processing chain. Saab and Helsing offer an integrated AI software approach for this purpose, which includes components on the aircraft as well as in the ground-based data processing systems. New groundbreaking AI technology for spectrum analysis and behavioral recognition will be available to Air Force operators when the Eurofighter EK is introduced in 2028.

The profound understanding of the frequency spectrum, which is generated by modern machine learning methods, also improves numerous downstream system tasks: e.g. B. in the form of an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of your own jamming. This is already possible today because Saabs Arexis offers an open system architecture and state-of-the-art processors, and Helsing is able to run AI applications for the EK on the edge on the Eurofighter EK platform in a resource-saving manner. Helsing has been able to mature the necessary in-depth AI and software expertise in the new field of cognitive electronic combat in recent years through self-financed research, has already proven it in concrete applications and is now making it available to the Air Force.

Due to the rapid adaptability of AI models and the closing of breaks in today's data processing chains, the performance of the Eurofighter EK will be significant from day one and then continuously improved. The further development of the overall system, driven by the operators, will in future be designed in terms of software cycles, i.e. a few weeks, instead of hardware and electronics cycles of years.

Together, the Eurofighter EK will be a complete success

Thanks to the modular system architecture of Saabs Arexis, the joint offer from Saab and Helsing combines the best EK electronics and groundbreaking AI technology developed in Germany. This combination ensures market availability from day one, national sovereignty and a continuous increase in capability.

Together with the platform manufacturer Airbus, the Air Force can be provided with urgently needed state-of-the-art cognitive EK capabilities by 2028. Continuous increases in capability are possible through software upgrades based on customer data. The Eurofighter EK will be Europe's spearhead in electronic combat in the coming decades.

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