German Industry Team Demonstrates Electromagnetic Combat Capability in Live Flight
In a historic first for Germany, a consortium of leading German defense companies—including Airbus, bKEC, HENSOLDT, IBM, MBDA, PLATH, Rohde & Schwarz, and Schönhofer—has successfully demonstrated airborne electromagnetic combat (EC) during a live flight event. This milestone highlights Germany’s commitment to sovereign electromagnetic spectrum operations through the “luftgestützte Wirkung im elektromagnetischen Spektrum” (luWES) initiative.
Live Scenario: Evacuation in a Denied Environment
The demonstration simulated a realistic operational scenario: the evacuation of German citizens from a crisis zone defended by hostile air defense systems. A Pilatus PC-12 turboprop served as the stand-off jamming aircraft, detecting and disabling an SA-8 air defense system using electromagnetic countermeasures (ECM). This suppression allowed a simulated Airbus A400M military airlifter to carry out the evacuation mission undetected and unchallenged.
Supporting the mission was SHARCS, an unmanned remote carrier equipped with a stand-in jammer, which disrupted enemy communications and delayed their response. All sensor data, jamming effects, and AI-supported analyses were securely processed in a cloud-based environment, enabling seamless coordination between platforms.
EC as a Non-Kinetic Force Multiplier
The exercise demonstrated the operational effectiveness of non-kinetic, ammunition-free electromagnetic combat, emphasizing its ability to neutralize threats while avoiding collateral damage. EC enables friendly forces to operate safely in contested environments, enhancing both survivability and mission effectiveness.
Building Sovereign EC Capability under luWES
The live test is a key step in Germany’s luWES program, which aims to develop a modular “system-of-systems” for airborne electromagnetic warfare. The luWES architecture includes:
- Stand-off jammer: Operates from long range to neutralize radar and comms systems before aircraft enter contested zones.
- Escort jammer: Provides direct, continuous protection for manned aircraft during missions.
- Stand-in jammer: Penetrates hostile airspace to suppress enemy systems at close range, safeguarding weapons platforms and strike missions.
Next Steps
The industry team will now proceed with further development and integration of the luWES components, aligned under the joint vision of “EC made in Germany for Germany.” The goal is to deliver fully sovereign, scalable electromagnetic combat capabilities to the German Air Force, reinforcing national defense readiness in the modern battlespace.
