Saab begins German Eurofighter EW sensor suit works
The German defence procurement office announced the selection of the Arexis system last June. (Photo: Eurofighter GmbH)
The enhanced Eurofighters will replace the ageing Tornado ECR jets in the German Air Force’s fleet.
Saab has received an order from Airbus to upgrade 15 German Eurofighter Typhoon fighters with the Arexis Electronic Warfare (EW) sensor suit.
The German defence procurement office announced the selection of the Arexis system last June and the recent contract award has marked the start of the first phase of the order.
Once completed, the upgraded Eurofighters will replace the German Air Force’s Tornado Electronic Combat Reconnaissance (ECR) jets. The Bundeswehr announced the replacement of its Tornado division in March 2022, with phasing out of the Tornado ECRs entirely between 2025 and 2030. Some of the ECR and IDS jets will be replaced by F-35As.
Defence AI company Helsing will support Saab in the Arexis programme by providing its AI platform which will be integrated into the Arexis suite. The new EW sensor suit was said to enable the fighters to detect, locate and identify radar emitters in complex and congested electromagnetic environments.
“Combining advanced hardware and AI-enabled software, our Arexis sensor suite will strengthen the German defence with future-proof electronic warfare capability for decades to come,” said Micael Johansson, CEO and president of Saab.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Scaling for diverse fleet needs: How many CCA will be acquired per crewed aircraft?]()
Scaling for diverse fleet needs: How many CCA will be acquired per crewed aircraft?
There is currently no industry standard in the ratio of uncrewed to crewed aircraft. Because collaborative combat aircraft vary widely in capability and crewed-uncrewed teaming availability, while country-specific requirements vary, it is unlikely that a single CCA configuration will meet all operational needs.
-
![Focus on economy over capability highlights the cost imperative for CCA success]()
Focus on economy over capability highlights the cost imperative for CCA success
Striking the right balance between cost and capability is likely to become more crucial in the increasingly competitive collaborative combat aircraft market. Shephard’s special CCA market report examines where the opportunities lie for suppliers.
-
![Saudi Arabia air report: The world’s fourth-largest UAV market seeks to strengthen domestic industry]()
Saudi Arabia air report: The world’s fourth-largest UAV market seeks to strengthen domestic industry
With $9.18 billion in uncontracted programmes — including a potential multi-billion-dollar MQ-9B deal — Saudi Arabia’s UAV sector is poised for significant further growth and industrial expansion.
