Boeing [BA] selected BAE Systems to develop and manufacture a new all-digital electronic warfare (EW) system for the U.S. Air Force’s F-15 fighter fleet, BAE said Thursday.
The new system is part of a multi-billion dollar program to develop the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPA WSS), an integrated system meant to provide advanced aircraft protection, improved situational awareness, and support future F-15 mission requirements, the company said.
The EPA WSS is set to replace the currently used Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS) in the early 2020s (Defense Daily, Sept. 15), which has been in service since the 1980s.
EPA WSS requires a smaller footprint than TEWS and provides advanced capabilities like improved aircraft protection including advanced electromagnetic countermeasures, radar warning, and increased chaff and flare capability, BAE said.
“This selection builds on our extensive electronic warfare legacy, a history we were able to leverage to develop an executable, affordable, and low-risk solution for the F-15 fleet,” said Brian Walters, vice president and general manager of electronic combat solutions at BAE.
“By upgrading to an enhanced all-digital system, the Air Force, in conjunction with the platform prime, Boeing, will provide next-generation electronic warfare capability to F-15C and F-15E aircraft to help keep the platform capable and mission-ready against current and future threats,” Walters added.
EPA WSS development and follow-on work will be conducted at several BAE facilities in New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Texas, the company said.