Harris Corporation is promoting its electronic warfare (EW) systems to the region’s air forces, with a particularly focus on the Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet.
The company sees three main areas of EW focus among the region’s countries: mission success in contested domains, marine awareness in congested seas, and battlefield communications.
A key element of the company’s offering is its AIDEWS (Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite). Based on the company’s ALQ-211, the system can be mounted internally in new-build F-16s, or housed in a pod for legacy aircraft.
Andy Dunn, business development for electronic warfare at Harris, says that rising geopolitical tensions have spurred greater regional interest in EW.
Specific opportunities Harris is eyeing include all new F-16 deals, as well as upgrades. Indonesia, in particular, is considering the acquisition of additional fighter aircraft.
Dunn also touched on the export issues surrounding EW.
“Electronic warfare is a sensitive technology and there are always concerns regarding compatibility, coalition operations, and consistency with things like databases,” he says.
“In countries where the USA conducts coalition operations…it is always a concern to ensure that when an allied aircraft detects a threat, both US forces and the partner see the threat in exactly the same way and this all comes with the databases. An equally important concern is ensuring there is no EW fratricide, when you’re conflicting with coalition forces. EW is a key capability for aircraft, and there needs to be consistency among coalition aircraft.”
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Source: FlightGlobal.com
