Leonardo, the Italian aerospace and defense company, has unveiled the next phase of upgrades for the Eurofighter Typhoon’s Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS). These upgrades, proposed for the Eurofighter four-nation Phase 4 Enhancement (P4E) package, are set to significantly enhance the aircraft’s survivability capabilities. Furthermore, these upgrades will also be made available for export customers, extending the reach of this cutting-edge technology.
Photo: Sgt Jack Pritchard, RAF/MOD, OGL v1.0OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The proposed upgrades include the integration of a digital receiver capability, which will play a crucial role in improving target recognition and enabling more effective countermeasure deployment. Additionally, a band extension will be introduced, allowing the Eurofighter Typhoon to operate in complex and congested electromagnetic battlespaces, thus enhancing its versatility in future combat scenarios.
To bolster processing capabilities, the signal processing algorithms and processor capabilities will undergo enhancements. These improvements will result in significant advancements in processing speed, overall capability, and memory. Furthermore, integration with Typhoon’s E-scan radar options, including the highly anticipated ECRS Mk2, will empower the aircraft with a formidable electronic attack capability, complementing the on-board jamming provided by the Praetorian system.
The upgrades also align with the Praetorian eVolution roadmap, which charts the course for future developments of the Typhoon’s Defensive Aids Sub-System. This roadmap envisions multi-platform electronic warfare capabilities, combat Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) functions, high-precision targeting, and advanced combat identification features. Ongoing discussions among the four Typhoon partner nations (UK, Italy, Germany, and Spain) demonstrate their commitment to enhancing future survivability and maintaining combat air skills in an evolving threat landscape.
It is noteworthy that the existing DASS, aptly named Praetorian after the esteemed Roman bodyguard corps, provides the Eurofighter Typhoon with robust protection against a wide array of threats, including Infra-Red (IR/heat-seeking) and radar-guided missiles. The integration of various sensors and jamming equipment equips the aircraft with situational awareness, while advanced electronic deception techniques enable digital stealth capabilities.
In order to validate and test these upgraded capabilities, Leonardo will collaborate with its test and evaluation partner, 2Excel, and showcase the new features on a Navajo test aircraft during the 2023 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in Fairford, UK. Subsequent to this event, first flight trials employing the upgraded Typhoon hardware on the 2Excel Navajo will commence soon after RIAT. Additional trials on-board Typhoon aircraft are scheduled for early 2024, ensuring rigorous evaluation and fine-tuning of the enhanced system.
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