Italian electronic warfare specialist Elettronica – which provides key systems for platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon as part of the EuroDASS consortium – is displaying its new SISPROS family of interception, analysis and intelligence systems at the show.

The SISPROS (SIGINT and Self Protection System) family includes the lightweight ELT/162 radar warning receiver, which will be able to provide a protection functionality for airborne platforms, as well as an electronic support measures/electronic intelligence capability. With the latter, the RWR can be configured to provide detailed parameters of a specific transmitter.

Daniela Pistoia, corporate chief scientist at Elettronica, says fight testing of the ELT/162’s RWR mode will be conducted later this year, while the ESM mode will undergo the same process during 2020. The new system will supersede the company's existing ELT/160 unit, introducing new technologies such as direct sampling and artificial intelligence.

The RWR system performs in the 2-40GHz bandwidth range, while the ESM capability operates in the C-band.

Pistoia notes that unlike legacy systems, the new RWR takes full advantage of digital technologies, meaning it is highly resistant to interference and adaptive to the electromagnetic environment. Being software- rather than hardware-based, the system is reconfigurable either to new platforms or threats via updates.

In the future, this will allow users to perform a variety of functions without changing the hardware itself, similar to the app approach on mobile phones today. "In this system, we have the radar warning function which can be isolated by downloading just the radar warning 'application' on the same processor," Pistoia notes.

Elettronica is also working on its EDGE jamming pod, to counter emerging and complex radar frequency threats. The equipment will give a host platform an electronic-attack functionality for missions such as suppression of enemy air defences, providing protection for strike packages. EDGE can also perform ELINT tasks, acquiring detailed information on enemy radar systems.

"It is one of the technologies that we are proposing for the mid-life upgrade for the Eurofighter Typhoon," Pistoia says.

Read all the latest news and information from the 2019 Paris air show on our dedicated page

Source: Flight Daily News