Dassault Aviation K.

Tokunaga

Electronic
warfare
Dominating the electromagnetic spectrum
Todays combat environment is dominated
by the electromagnetic spectrum. To see
without being seen, to talk without being
heard, to listen without being detected,
to react quickly and effectively against
threats of all types these have always
been crucial to the successful conduct of
offensive, defensive and security operations.
Now, however, it is electronic warfare, and
its interaction with other disciplines, that
provides the key to success and survivability
in the modern battlespace.
A rise in networked connectivity and an
insatiable demand for more intelligence, as
exemplified by the explosion of unmanned
systems, has dramatically changed the
EW landscape into a dynamic and densely
packed arena. Sophisticated, automated

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systems are now required to sift through

the myriad of transmissions to identify
those that represent a threat or have an
intelligence value. Those systems need
to react quickly to counter the threat, or
to provide intelligence in a timely fashion
so that it can be acted upon before its
usefulness diminishes.
Thales has a rich pedigree in all aspects
of electronic warfare, across air, sea and
land domains. The companys portfolio
encompasses all functions of electronic
warfare: radar and optronic sensors,
communications and radar intelligence,
decoys and jammers. It also has a long
history of engineering complex suites
to manage EW assets, as well as to
integrate them with related systems such

as communications. Knowledge in the EW

sector also allows Thales to offer focused
training and operational support solutions to
maximise the effectiveness of the equipment
and its operators.
Based on this long experience and
understanding of the electromagnetic
environment, the company continues to
design new capabilities to remain ahead
of the threat. As well as developing
technology at equipment level, Thales is
at the forefront of advances that bring
together multiple electronic warfare and
intelligence disciplines, so that, by combining
and cross-cueing the products of sensors
and effectors, levels of protection and the
quality of actionable data can be significantly
enhanced.

Electronic
warfare
Electronic warfare includes offensive,
defensive and intelligence operations
across the entire electromagnetic
spectrum. Like all military operations
based on delivering effects, electronic
warfare plays a role in the OODA loop. It
involves running high-speed (or even realtime) iterations of each of the processes
involved (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act).
The electromagnetic environment is
an operational environment in its own
right, in which the effects delivered are
electromagnetic in nature. For that
reason, military capabilities must span
the entire electromagnetic spectrum. On
the one hand, friendly forces must protect
themselves so that the spectrum is available
for their offensive actions; and on the other
it is advantageous to find out as much as
possible about enemy intentions in order
to prevent their adversaries from using the
resource.
This intangible environment is common
space, and few international rules and
regulations apply. For example, claims
of sovereignty over the electromagnetic
spectrum are not directly covered by the
Charter of the United Nations, nor by the
North Atlantic Treaty.

EW history

To analyse electronic warfare practices

and how they are changing, an historical
approach may be appropriate. Since the
beginning of the 20th Century, warfighters
have been increasingly reliant on the use
of the radio spectrum for communications

Thales supplies a wide variety of systems to

the FREMM frigate programme, including
RECM, RESM and CESM systems ( DCNS)

Rafale incorporates a high degree of Thales technology, including radar, optronics and
protection system ( Dassault Aviation K. Tokunaga)
(World War 1: interception and jamming of
radio signals); for detection and identification
of targets (World War 2: use of radar and
interrogation friend/foe, camouflage and
decoys, deception of enemy sensors); for
positioning (1991 Gulf War: RF devices and
widespread use of GPS); and for remote
control of fighting systems (21st century:
intensive use of LOS or BLOS/SATCOM
datalinks).
Todays warfighter has become a
networked system whose operational
value hinges on integration within broader,
interconnected systems that serve the
purposes of positioning, communication,
identification and location of friendly and
enemy forces. This system of systems and
its corresponding rules of engagement
now determine military efficiency and
effectiveness.
Moreover, the way of life of advanced
industrial countries is totally dependent on
the ability to manage the electromagnetic
spectrum. In military terms, the
objectives are to shape and exploit the
electromagnetic environment in order to
generate a common operational picture,
enable communications and navigation,
contribute to force protection, and
deliver effects both by military use of
electromagnetic energy and by achieving
dominance of the electromagnetic
battlespace.
Electronic systems are part of our
everyday lives, and the defence-security
continuum obliges us to address issues
related to the electromagnetic spectrum
whenever we act to safeguard national
security against threats such as the
jamming of remote controls, GSM and GPS
in certain areas, protection of sensitive
information and similar. In these conditions,
the frontier between civil and military is
becoming increasingly blurred, and the exact
extent of a conflict zone is becoming harder
to define.

Missions and functions

As defined by the OODA loop, before a force

can Act, it must first Observe, Orient and
Decide.

1 The first missions in this loop rely on

intelligence and management functions:

Surveillance and electronic support
Here the objective is to avoid or control
combat-related risks through the passive
observation of the electromagnetic
spectrum used by adversaries. This makes
it possible to determine their technological
capabilities and allow the constitution of
technical libraries, their electronic order
of battle, and the types, locations and
levels of threat posed by their combat
systems. This knowledge is acquired by
analysing communications in areas such
as demodulation, decryption, datalinks and
network structures, as well as radar and
other types of signals.
Current trends suggest that these
categories of signals are becoming less
clearly defined: for example, a remote
control signal can be transmitted by a radar,
and aircraft can be located passively using
sources of opportunity such as radio and
television broadcasting emitters. Certain
non-dedicated protection systems can
enhance this knowledge of the electronic
order of battle and expand threat libraries in
real time.
Current conflicts whether conventional,
symmetrical, asymmetrical (simultaneous
use of civil and military communications
and sensors) or hybrid (including the use of
soft power such as economic measures)
rely heavily on global monitoring systems
that could be space-borne, maritime or
land-based. A multi-environment, multiagency approach is crucial to analysing and
understanding the mass of signals and data
that is gleaned from the electromagnetic
environment.

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Management and decision

At tactical, theatre and strategic levels,
command centres have specialised teams
with the capability to build a meaningful
picture of the forces in the field. There
is constant pressure to analyse and
exploit these electronic signals and data
more quickly. A wide array of automation
techniques, primarily involving multi-sensor
data fusion that cross-cues data from
different sources and signals with different
frequencies is being developed to support
command decisions.
Within the tactical loop, the electronic
reaction/counter-reaction cycle of measures
and countermeasures is taken into account
virtually in real time.

2 These intelligence gathering and decision-

making phases are critical to a forces

operational and technical planning capability:
Defensive operations and assets: electronic
protection and spectrum management
Here the objective is to counter the
adversarys offensive and intelligencegathering capabilities through a combination
of procedural measures and physical assets:
secure communications; reduced signature
through absorption, phase processing,
and active or passive reflection; use of
Faraday cages and fibre-optics; transmission
management through power management,
frequency-hopping, different waveforms;
protection of radio and radar receivers;
signal and data encryption; and other
techniques.
Protection systems must operate across
several frequency bands simultaneously
to provide a warning capability across
significant portions of the spectrum, and
must offer improved threat detection,
identification and location at long range.
Such systems issue alerts that trigger
electronic countermeasures (jamming,
decoys and deception, combined with
evasive manoeuvres by the platform)
automatically or semi-automatically.
Increasingly, defensive solutions must
also provide counter-RCIED protection, as
these devices remain a major threat in many
theatres.
Overall, the spectrum is a scarce and
contested resource on the battlefield that
requires specific spectrum control solutions
for its optimised use among friendly forces
and dominance against adversaries.
Offensive operations and assets:
electronic attack
Here the objective is to prevent adversaries
from utilising the electromagnetic
spectrum, primarily by jamming, decoys,
deception and intrusion, but also by
destroying the electronic systems they use

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Elint and Comint collection and support of operational forces is the role of the C160 Gabriel
( DGA/EV Cazaux)

Thales has provided EW training and operational support facilities to a number of nations
( Thales)
to communicate, navigate and designate
targets. The concentrated power of active
antennas or directed energy weapons can
be used to force entry before adversaries
can implement denial of access strategies.
The first offensive actions can be
qualified as soft kill, but can potentially be
supported by hard kill actions on missions
such as Suppression of Enemy Air Defences
(SEAD) or Destruction of Enemy Air
Defences (DEAD). Offensive jamming is also
one way to prevent the remote detonation
of IEDs counter-IED measures. Similarly,
UAV datalinks used for flight control, or to
transmit mission data from radar, optronic
or ESM payloads, are vulnerable to attacks
such as jamming and deception.

Thales in the EW loop

Modern electronic systems are complex

configurations of sensors operating across
an ever broader spectrum of frequencies.
They perform functions ranging from
detection, identification and geo-location, to

targeting, weapons delivery and guidance,

and they are tied together by versatile, multispectral communication systems. Systemwide analysis is the only way to understand
how they operate, and to establish an
offensive or defensive plan to reduce
attrition of friendly assets by combining nonkinetic, kinetic and cybernetic actions.
Only a company with solid credentials
across the entire range of C4ISR
technologies and in all frequency spectrums,
and with a full understanding of the
technologies needed to detect and act
such as radio, radar, optronics and lasers
is in a position to step up to todays security
and defence challenges.
Thales is a single organisation with a long
and sustained involvement at every stage in
the OODA loop (detection, analysis, decision
support and programming). This ensures
the coherence across multiple environments
that is needed to optimise joint forces/multiagency responses in the electronic warfare
domain.

Rafale with SPECTRA electronic protection

system ( Dassault Aviation K. Tokunaga)

In the air
Electronic warfare is an integral part of
todays airborne operations. Advances in
surface-to-air missile technology and the
global proliferation of SAMs have raised
the stakes in aircraft survivability, in turn
driving the development of sophisticated
detection systems and countermeasures.
Furthermore, airborne platforms have
become the principal means of gathering
electronic intelligence about an adversarys
capabilities and intentions.
With many decades of experience of
providing airborne electronic equipment,
Thales is at the forefront of the airborne
EW arena. The company produces radars,
optronic sensors, electronic protection
systems, communications and a wealth of
other systems for airborne employment. The
companys innate knowledge of the segment
has allowed it to develop highly integrated
systems that not only work harmoniously
together without conflict, but which harness
individual capabilities to increase overall
effectiveness.
An example of Thaless expertise and
capabilities is provided by the Dassault
Rafale omnirole fighter, in service with the
French armed forces and selected by those
of Egypt, India and Qatar. A key member of
the industrial team, Thales supplies around
25 percent of the Rafale system by value.
A key element of this is the AESA (active
electronically scanned antenna) RBE2
radar, which provides significantly improved
radar capabilities. In terms of electronic
warfare, the AESA RBE2 is more agile than
previous sensors, making it less prone to
jamming. Another Rafale system provided
by Thales is the FSO (front sector optronics)
system. This allows the passive detection
and tracking of targets at long range.

Employment of the FSO greatly reduces the

need for the radar to emit signals, in turn
making the Rafale more difficult to detect.

SPECTRA

Protection of the Rafale is entrusted to

the SPECTRA (Self-Protection Equipment
to Counter Threats for Rafale Aircraft), an
integrated defensive aids suite that has
been developed by Thales in partnership
with MBDA. SPECTRA works across
the electromagnetic, laser and infrared
domains, employing smart data fusion
from multi-spectral sensors to provide
identification, location, jamming and
decoying against a wide range of threats.
SPECTRA is built on a system of receivers
and countermeasures. RF (radio frequency)
detectors employ sophisticated techniques
such as interferometry for high-precision
direction-of-arrival and passive ranging,
and digital frequency memory for signal
coherence. The system also employs
accurate laser warning detectors with
direction-finding capability, and a passive
infrared missile warning system. Data
from all three sensor suites are fused
and processed by a central computer,
which prioritises and activates the relevant
countermeasures, based upon comparison
between the received signals and an
onboard threat library.
RF jamming is transmitted through activephased array antennas. Employment of this
advanced technology allows the jamming
signal to be concentrated in the sector
where it is needed, not only increasing
its effectiveness, but also reducing the
probability of intercept by the adversarys
own sensors. In addition to RF jammers, the
SPECTRA system incorporates mechanical
countermeasures for the dispensing of

chaff and decoys that are effective in either

electromagnetic or infrared domains.
In addition to protecting the Rafale,
SPECTRA also has a valuable offensive
function. Fused data from the sensors
provides threat tracks in the weapon
system, which can be displayed in the
cockpit. These tracks can be used for
targeting in the defence suppression role.
Additionally, the data product from the
SPECTRA sensors is of very high quality,
so that the system can be used for the
gathering of Elint (electronic intelligence).
Pop-up threats can be compared against
the threat library, which can be updated with
new information. The product of SPECTRA
is also recorded and can be downloaded
upon the aircrafts return to base for
more detailed analysis in the ground-based
support centre. In this way master threat
libraries can be updated, and revised data
files produced for subsequent missions.

Upgrades and transports

With increasing restrictions on defence

budgets, the updating of in-service aircraft
is an attractive proposition for many air
arms around the globe. Based on its deep
understanding of the EW sector and its
technological advances based on developing
systems such as SPECTRA, Thales is an
ideal partner to develop and supply systems
that can bring the EW and protection
capabilities of legacy fighters up to state-ofthe-art standards. The latest is ICMS Mk 4
(Integrated Counter-Measure System).
In many operations the threat comes
not from an integrated, layered air
defence system, but from large numbers
of MANPADS (man-portable air defence
system) missiles and guns. Equipping
fighters with the latest integrated and
automated protection systems renders them
far less vulnerable to such threats.
Similarly, large aircraft and helicopters
have become increasingly vulnerable
to these threats. Thales has developed
systems including all types of detectors that
can be used in conjunction with a range of
countermeasures to provide protection for
air vehicles of varying sizes.
MIRAS (Multi-colour InfraRed Alerting
Sensor) is a missile-warning system
that uses advanced band subtraction
algorithms to eliminate background heat
signatures so that hostile missile launches
can be detected immediately. Quick
reaction time and accurate tracking of
the missile are essential to the success
of countermeasures. MIRAS can work
with a range of effectors, including DIRCM
(directional infrared countermeasures).

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Thales has been engaged on DIRCM

development for some time.
Another system, intended for transport
aircraft, helicopters and UAVs, is ELIX-IR,
which uses single-colour infrared technology
to provide a highly effective yet affordable
system that can provide warning against
missile, RPG and gun threats. MWS-20 is a
Doppler radar providing missile warning and
time-to-impact measurement to increase the
level of protection of special forces aircraft
and helicopters, and high-value assets such
as head-of state-aircraft. ELIX-IR or MWS-20
can operate as stand-alone systems linked
direct to an effector, such as the VICON-XF
dispensing system, or can be integrated into
a defensive aids system.
The company has also leveraged its radar
knowledge to develop the CATS (compact
airborne threat surveyor) radar warning
receiver and ESM system. This provides
real-time situational awareness of battlefield
radar systems, and also an immediate alert
of those that directly threaten the platform.
CATS includes the central DAS controller,
integrating all detectors and effectors.

Signals intelligence

For many years aircraft have been used

for the collection of strategic Sigint
(signals intelligence), spanning a range
of sub-domains such as Elint (electronic
intelligence) and Comint (communications
intelligence). As the electromagnetic
spectrum has become more of an integral
part of modern operations, so the use of
airborne Sigint collection has increased.
Flying at altitude from a relatively safe
stand-off distance, the aircraft provides a
platform for sensitive receivers that can
gather signals from deep inside a potential
adversarys territory.
Traditionally such specialised Sigint
platforms have been based on large
aircraft converted bombers, maritime
patrollers or transports but advances
in technology have decreased the size of
Sigint sensors, and automation has allowed

Future Combat Air System

( Dassault Aviation)

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airborne operators to be reduced in number,

or through the use of datalinks to ground
stations, removed altogether.
With the greater accent on electronic
warfare, the need for persistent surveillance
and wide-area coverage has also increased.
Unmanned systems are employed more
and more for these missions, datalinked to
ground stations for analysis of the product.
Sigint is increasingly cross-cued with
imagery and other intelligence to provide a
full multi-intelligence environment.
The proliferation of signals in the modern
battlespace has posed the challenge of
providing the processing capacity to cope
with a high density of complex signals, and
the need to provide high direction-finding
accuracy for the precise geo-location of the
emitters.
Thales has been a leading figure in
the development of solutions to these
challenges, and has a wealth of experience
in the Sigint domain. The company has been
heavily involved in the French air forces
Gabriel programme, based on a Transall
C160 transport aircraft. The Gabriel
combines sensitive Elint and Comint systems
that provide both EOB (electronic order of
battle) and COB (communications order
of battle) capability, as well as support for
warfighters in operational scenarios.
Thales offers a number of Sigint systems
for airborne employment. An example is
the ACS (Airborne COMINT Solution), which
has been selected by several customers in
Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
ACS provides intelligence collection and
monitoring of all communication signals
in the VHF and UHF frequency bands, a
ground exploitation system for mission
preparation, command and control of the
airborne COMINT payload, as well as off-line
analysis, intelligence data dissemination,
and associated training. It provides efficient
processing driven first by geo-location rather
than monitoring, in order to focus on areas
of interest and allowing the operators to
analyse relevant signals of interest.

C160G Gabriel signals intelligence platform

( SIRPA Air)
The ELINT system has also been
integrated into the ASTAC supersonic pod,
which is in service with several air forces
around the world carried under various
types of fighter aircraft. This configuration
allows stand-off and pathfinder missions.

New challenges

Aerospace, technological and operational

developments mean that the world of
electronic warfare never stands still. The
rise of the unmanned aircraft has opened
up a new world of persistent ISR and widearea coverage possibilities, but has also
driven the need for ever smaller and less
power-hungry systems to exploit the new
capabilities.
Thales is heavily involved in developments
to meet these new requirements. One
programme is CUGE, which is a system
that combines Elint and Comint functions
into a single suite. Although closely related
and traditionally often flown alongside each
other on the same platform, the collection
of Comint and Elint have been undertaken
largely independently.
While individual sensors and sensor suites
are improved, the integration of multispectral sensors is greatly enhancing the
intelligence product. The advent of MALE
(medium-altitude long-endurance) UAVs as
the prime collection platform for wide-area
intelligence drives the need for new systems
that are at least as effective as those
carried by large, manned aircraft, but with
a greatly reduced SWAP (size, weight and
power) burden.
Another challenge is faced with the
development of the UCAV (unmanned
combat air vehicle) that is set to
revolutionise air warfare in the coming
years. Combining stealth and autonomy to
survive in very hostile air environments,
the UCAV demands high levels of signature
management and a greater use of passive
sensors. Bringing its knowledge of combat
electronics and EW to the table, Thales is
an important part of the Anglo-French team
that aims to place a UCAV into service in the
next decade.

At Sea

FREMM frigate FNS Aquitaine ( DCNS)

Through the development and supply of

systems for surface vessels, submarines
and maritime patrol aircraft, Thales has
built a thorough understanding of the
unique electronic warfare requirements
of the maritime domain. Systems can be
integrated into sophisticated EW suites
that protect valuable naval assets and give
the edge in operational scenarios.
In the maritime domain Thales is a global
supplier of systems covering a wide range of
platforms and disciplines. The company has
developed techniques by which information
from multiple sources radar, optronics,
RESM (radar electronic support measures),
CESM (communications electronic support
measures), AIS (automatic identification
system) and offboard sensors can be
integrated into a recognised maritime
picture.

That picture provides operators and

commanders with a readily accessible
situation display to aid tactical decisionmaking, while the components provide the
information necessary for the naval platform
to defend itself against threats. Thales has
developed maritime combat management
systems such as TACTICOS for surface
vessels and AMASCOS for maritime patrol
aircraft that can be scaled and optimised
to meet a variety of platform and customer
requirements. The companys EW subsystems have been developed to interface
with these advanced combat management
tools.
Equipment for maritime patrol aircraft
has been a speciality of the company for
many years, including the supply of radars,
acoustic systems and optronic sensors.
Thales is closely involved in the French navys
Dassault Atlantique 2 patrol aircraft, and
is now involved with industry partners on a
major update. New-generation sensors will
enhance the Atlantique 2s capabilities in
areas such as littoral warfare and overland
operations.
Another maritime patrol programme in
which Thales is closely involved is Turkeys
MELTEM. Thales was the prime contractor
for the MELTEM II phase that provided nine
Airbus CN235s for the Turkish navy and
coast guard, outfitted with maritime patrol
equipment and AMASCOS management
system. The company is also lead systems
integrator on MELTEM III, based on the ATR
72-600 airframe and again using AMASCOS
at its heart.

Naval EW

Just as it is in the air, Thales is very much

at home at sea. Radars, optronic sensors,
communications and protection systems
have been developed for both domestic use
by France and the UK, and for many navies
around the world. Key members of the
maritime portfolio are the RESM, CESM and
RECM (radar electronic countermeasures)
systems developed by the company.
Type 45 frigate HMS Daring
( UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

Development of these advanced systems

has led to them becoming an integral part of
several cutting-edge warship programmes,
such as the Royal Navys Type 45 and
French Horizon and FREMM frigates, as well
as DCNSs Gowind/Adroit OPV (offshore
patrol vessel).
Thaless RESM systems include specific
high-end systems for high-value ships such
as frigates and include the Vigile family of
sensors. This is a scalable system that
builds functionality onto a baseline capability
through modules. The system provides
capability for naval, air and land platforms
against a variety of modern radar LPI (low
probability of intercept) techniques, such
as the use of adaptive power, frequency
and pulse repetition agility, and fleeting
emissions. Advanced research has led to
launch the development of a high-end fully
digital version for providing comprehensive
performance, particularly in the modern and
heavily congested RF environment.
In todays environment maritime protection
missions such as anti-smuggling and antipiracy have grown in importance and, as a
consequence, there is a greater need for
smaller, more versatile vessels. Thales has
recognised that with the development of
lightweight systems, such as the Vigile LW,
that are tailored for OPV applications.
In recent times the rise of asymmetric
threats at sea has driven an increase in
the importance of CESM. Often the FIAC
(fast inshore attack craft) threat carries
no radar and has only a small radar
signature. Communications ESM can often
be the primary means by which they are
first detected and tracked, before optronic
sensors can be cued to their location.
Thaless Altesse CESM/Comint system
provides an ideal capability against these
threats, as well as more traditional
maritime systems. This is especially so
as communications are increasingly used
in naval operations. Altesse can provide
early warning and alert of distant threats
to enhance self-protection, as well as
contribute geo-location information into the
recognised maritime picture in conjunction
with other sensors.
Thales also produces a range of radar
electronic countermeasures systems for the
defence of vessels, including the Scorpion 2.
This provides jamming and decoy functions
in a range of modes and applications,
including area protection for a fleet of
vessels, and point defence for the host ship.
Like Rafales SPECTRA, it uses state-of-theart ECM techniques and is effective against
multiple simultaneous threats, including
long-range, target acquisition and missile
guidance radars.

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Air/land
environment

Watchkeeper tactical UAS

( Richard Seymour)

Whether engaging conventional or

asymmetric forces, todays land forces
and the air assets that support them
operate in a dense electromagnetic
environment. As connectivity increases,
so the need has emerged for more
capable electronic warfare systems that
can handle large volumes of signals in a
dynamic battlespace.
Thales is a leading supplier of tactical
electronic warfare systems providing COP
(common operational picture) contribution,
intelligence collection and electronic attack
through the use of multiple battlefield
communications and radar sensors, and
effectors. The companys scalable TEWS
solutions are designed to intercept and
locate enemy emitters, and also to jam
or deceive enemy emissions if necessary.
The system employs deployable and mobile
communications ESM and ECM units,
including on-the-move capability.
Comprehensive TEWS systems have been
delivered to NATO and export customers,
with the French SAEC mobile station
as an example of a quickly deployable
armoured ESM station that integrates
both communications and radar ESM
sensors. The high level of TEWS processing
automation for analysis is used to feed
technical and tactical databases, and
support EOB generation.
TEWS can be augmented with counterRCIED (remote-controlled improvised
explosive device) solutions such as the
Eclipse. Primarily suited to vehicle-mounted
applications related to force protection or
EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) tasks,
Eclipse is a modular smart counter-RCIED
electronic defence system that is easily
upgradable to keep pace with continuously
evolving RCIED threats. It is one of the
smallest vehicle-mounted systems on the
market to provide full-band protection with
high power, without affecting friendlyforce communications.
Selected by several NATO
nations, ECLIPSE
can be used on
the move or at
rest. The system
generates a
protective bubble
for the protection
Eclipse counter-RCIED
equipment ( Thales)

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of the vehicle platform, or for a convoy of

several vehicles.
At command levels high-frequency radios
are still a popular means for long-range
communications for both conventional
forces and asymmetric threats, despite
the increase in satellite communications.
To perform in the complex and congested
HF spectrum, Thales offers the TRC 6500
super-resolution Comint/DF system that
offers simultaneous geo-localisation and
interception capabilities against all HF
radios. This has been selected by a number
of nations in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Air assets

Airborne platforms operating directly

in support of ground forces, such as
helicopters and tactical unmanned air
systems (UAS) have proliferated over the
battlefield in recent times as armies seek
ever more intelligence and greater mobility.
Helicopters operating in a hostile threat
environment require greater protection than
ever. Recognising that need, Thales has
developed several systems that contribute
to helicopter survival, such as the ELIX-IR
infrared threat warning system, MWS-20
Doppler radar missile warning system,
and VICON-XF dispensing system. CATS
provides, in a single system, real-time
situational awareness of battlefield radar
systems, an immediate alert of those that
directly threaten
the platform, and
also the central
DAS controller,
integrating all
detectors and
effectors.
With its
Watchkeeper
UAS developed
initially for the British
Army, Thales is also

at the forefront of multi-intelligence UAS

technology. Watchkeeper is a key ISR
(intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance)
asset that provides dual-payload capability
(optronics and Thales I-Master radar).
Integrated into a battlefield network,
Watchkeeper can work closely with EW
assets by cross-cueing sensors, and could
also be used as a platform for electronic
intelligence sensors.

Counter UAS

With the growing accent on UAS operations

for both military and civilian applications,
and the availability of unmanned technology
to both conventional and asymmetric
threats, the requirement for counter-UAS
solutions is emerging rapidly. There is a
need to complement the capability of existing
GBAD (ground-based air defence) systems,
especially against LSS (low, slow and small
RCS) airborne targets such as mini-UAVs.
Thales is actively developing a
comprehensive solution to meet this
challenge from UAS threats. It is based on
a number of disciplines, including optronics
and passive radar. Communications ESM
is part of the solution to detect, track and
characterise the datalinks that allow the
UAS to transmit its information. A network
of CESM and other passive sensors can
be used to fill in the gaps in a conventional
radar network in a multi-layered approach.
This has applications for border surveillance
and the protection of critical assets.
Beyond this initial step of detecting and
tracking small UAS targets, there is also a
requirement for a counter-UAS solution that
can interdict, defeat or deny an adversarys
use of UAS. Communications ECM that
jams or disrupts datalinks is a possible
neutralisation solution. Thaless counterUAV solutions are already available, and
capability demonstrations have already been
performed to several customers.

Training
and Support
As one of the world-leaders of electronic
warfare equipment, Thales understands
the need for high-quality training and
support for customers to gain the
maximum benefit from their EW systems.
As a consequence, the company has
engineered a comprehensive training and
support programme, and has developed
a range of tools to enhance operator
effectiveness.
To provide a comprehensive training
approach to electronic warfare, Thales
addresses training at many levels, from
basic through to expert. For most electronic
warfare is a dark art, and to understand
the nature of the domain first requires a
basic knowledge. Thales has established its
own in-house university to offer education
in many fields of the companys business,
including the electromagnetic spectrum.
This provides students with knowledge of the
domain looked at from both emission and
countermeasures sides.

As well as generic education, Thales has

developed a number of systems that aid the
training of professionals as they advance
in EW expertise. An example is the NEWT
(naval EW trainer) system, which offers
an array of capabilities aimed primarily at
individual EW operator training, but which
can be scalable to meet classroom-type
training requirements. NEWT uses the MMI
interfaces and processes of the operational
equipment, and is based on either generic
or real scenarios. It can be deployed to
theatre for training to create a realistic
operational scenario. NEWT provides an
environment for regular refresher courses
to enable operators to maintain proficiency.
Another Thales system is the EPS
(Electronic Protection System) training tool
established in a Middle East country to train
air defence radar and EW operators to work
in a heavily jammed environment. As well
as system training, EPS provides in-the-field
training through the use of stimulators.
Thales has developed a deployable
EW training and testing stimulator tool
that generates RF signals for a variety of
purposes. In the training role the system
can be used to familiarise operators
with various types of signals, and also to
provide in-the-field training by creating a
jamming scenario. For test purposes the
tool provides a means of checking that
operational equipment is working correctly,
and for checking ambiguities in threat
libraries.

Operational support

EW training stations for radar and

communications ESM systems ( Thales)

Successful electronic warfare is based not

only on having the right equipment, but also
on the support structure that prepares it
for real-world operations. With the need to
react instantly to threats as they appear,
preparedness is the key to successful EW.
To that end, Thales has created a range of
operational support solutions that ensure
that the customers equipment is fully
prepared to react to known threats, and to
rapidly implement appropriate responses
when new ones are encountered.
Thaless operational support solutions
address all the aspects of the EW loop.
At the heart of successful support is

EPS training centre ( Thales)

the database management of the threat
library that holds the characteristics of
known emitters. Mission planning and
preparation is based on this library, tailored
to meet expected threats in the operational
environment to create a mission data file
that primes the platforms EW systems.
Maintaining the database is a vital
process, and can be achieved through
intelligence-gathering and by post-mission
updates. Thales can provide tools for
post-mission analysis of recorded signals,
allowing new information to be added to
the threat library. In some instances an
interception database can be built up
in operational areas, with the detailed
characteristics of each emitter being
recorded, as radars of the same basic type
may have individual identifying peculiarities.
Thales has established a number of
EW support centres to provide these and
other capabilities, covering air, sea, land
and space domains, and supporting EW
operations from individual units to national
command level. In France there are centres
to support the Rafale fleet (both air force
and navy), army helicopters, and naval
assets, including maritime patrol aircraft
and helicopters.
The company has also established JEWCs
(Joint Electronic Warfare Centres) in many
nations to provide support to national
EW assets. These have been adapted to
manage local requirements and equipment,
including systems from other suppliers. The
modular architecture allows other domains,
such as acoustics, to be integrated into the
EW support system.

Thales SA
Tour Carpe Diem
31 place des Corolles
CS 20001
92098 - Paris La Dfense Cedex
Tel: +33 (0)1 57 77 80 00

www.thalesgroup.com
8

June 2015

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