Rafael and Hensoldt to go after German Typhoon EW ambitions

Rafael and sensor solutions provider Hensoldt have signed a teaming agreement to offer EW capabilities to the German Air Force.

Under the agreement, signed on 18 October, the partners agreed to integrate and enhance Rafael’s Sky Shield airborne EW pod as an escort jammer with Hensoldt’s Kalaetron Attack electronic attack (EA) capability.

IOC is planned for 2028.

The companies claim their capability could support the German Air Force’s decision to adapt the Eurofighter into an EA platform.

‘The new 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,’ Rafael noted in a press statement. 

In March, however, Germany’s defence minister Christine Lambrecht announced that a new Eurofighter Electronic Combat Role (ECR) variant had been selected for the Luftwaffe, scrapping a proposal from the last government to buy Boeing E/A-18G Growler Electronic Attack (EA) aircraft.

This has not been confirmed since, but Eurofighter manufacturer Airbus said the aircraft would be available from 2026 to offer operators ‘a variety of modular configurations for electronic attack.'