Airbus Defence and Space (DS) has showcased a new electronic attack and counter-ground-based air defence variant of the Eurofighter combat aircraft as it looks to secure Germanyā€™s Tornado replacement requirement.
Seen in front of a Eurofighter, the AARGM anti-radiation missile could be integrated onto an ECR/SEAD-equipped aircraft for the Luftwaffe should the consortium secure the Tornado replacement requirement. While the AARGM was not shown in an Airbus briefing on the planned configuration, its high-speed and long range would make it critical to any SEAD mission in a heavily-contested environment. (IHS Markit/Gareth Jennings)
Speaking at the companyā€™s Manching facility in southern Germany on 5 November, Kurt Rossner, head of Air Combat, provided the first insight into Airbus DS plans for an Electronic Combat Reconnaissance (ECR)/Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) version of the Eurofighter to replace the Luftwaffeā€™s Tornado ECR aircraft. This Tornado ECR replacement covers 40 aircraft as part of the wider Tornado IDR/ECR replacement programme for 85 aircraft.
As noted by Rossner, the ECR/SEAD configuration is a collaborative German industrial effort and forms part of the key technology roadmap for the aircraft. An ECR/SEAD Eurofighter offers the possibility of combining the escort and stand-in jammer platforms of any strike package, with an initial capability to be gained through podded systems before a more integrated solution is developed.
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