Saab begins German Eurofighter EW sensor suit works

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.