Defence electronics stand to become an ever more important part of Germany's portfolio, with a new emphasis on the sector by EADS
Headquartered in Ulm in south-west Germany, EADS's Defence Electronics business unit is leading the multinational company's development of advanced avionics and sensor systems for several of Europe's highest-profile defence projects.
Programmes supported by the company include the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter, Airbus Military A400M transport, Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter and NH Industries NH90 utility helicopter, andthe planned Euro hawk high-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle. Technologies under development or in production for these platforms include fire-control radars, mission, communications and avionics equipment and electronic warfare systems.
Formed on 1 January as part of EADS's Defence and Security Systems division, the defence electronics unit conducts 60% of its business in support of aviation projects. Land and naval activities account for around 30% and 10% of its remaining turnover, respectively.
Among the millions of dollars spent by the company each year on research and development, priority has been placed on funding the availability within the next five years of transmit/receive (T/R) modules for use with next-generation active electronically scanned array radars.
Intended to replace mechanically scanned antennas, these alloys will have no moving parts, but use many individual T/R modules, each around 70mm (2.8in) long, 10mm wide and 5mm deep. The technology has applications across a variety of airborne, maritime and ground-based applications (see box p57).
Developing aircraft countermeasures systems is another major activity for the unit, which also builds aircraft and missile datalinks, including a Ku-band system for France's future EADS/Israel Aircraft Industries Eagle 1 medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV.
Surveillance system
Other work in the unmanned sector includes its leading role in the Euro hawk surveillance system being promoted under a co-operation agreement between EADS and Northrop Grumman, which is building the RQ-4 Global Hawk for the US Air Force and US Navy. The companies conducted a series of flight demonstrations of a Global Hawk equipped with an EADS-developed electronic intelligence (ELINT) payload late last year from Germany's Nordholz air base.
The system is being promoted as a potential replacement for the German navy's Breguet Atlantic ELINT aircraft, and as part of NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system. EADS and Northrop Grumman are part of the Transatlantic Industrial Proposed Solution team which was picked last month to deliver the AGS battlefield reconnaissance system, which will include manned and unmanned aircraft.
Further UAV work includes the development of the 5kg (11lb) Misar synthetic-aperture radar, plus radar and communications jamming devices for use by small unmanned systems during dangerous electronic attack missions.
Among the numerous other projects pursued by the company is its research into micro electro-mechanical system devices, such as lightweight antennas, plus data relay payloads to enhance battlefield communications capabilities.
Beyond its main base in Ulm, home to around 2,500 of the unit's 3,500 staff, EADS Defence Electronics has a further five sites across Germany, three in France and one each in Belgium and the USA.
Speaking before taking his post as the new head of EADS Military Aircraft on 1 May, then-EADS Defence Electronics president and chief executive Johann Heitzmann said: "Industry will see more consolidation over the next few years in defence electronics. EADS is in good shape [for this process], as we are on all the new platforms." Heitzmann's place at the helm of the defence electronics business has been taken by Bernhard Gerwert, former head of its air and naval defence activities.
CRAIG HOYLE / ULM
Source: Flight International
