In order to expand the detection range of the SLQ-32 electronic warfare system on board its warships, the U.S. Navy has tasked Lockheed Martin to come up with an electronic warfare pod to be mounted on the MH-60 naval helicopter.
By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steven Harbour [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The Advanced Offboard Electronic Warfare (AOEW) system will relay the signals it picked up back to the ship’s SLQ-32 system without any input from the helicopter crew.
A Lockheed Martin official said this will allow the fleet to respond to threats beyond the horizon. He decline to comment on whether the AOEW has any offensive EW capability.