IAI unveils the Scorpius EW System

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled the Scorpius family of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. Scorpius is the first electronic warfare (EW) system in the world capable of simultaneously targeting multiple threats, across frequencies and in different directions.

Scorpius is based on the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, which provides a breakthrough in EW performance – enabling a new generation of electronic warfare capabilities.

With AESA’s multi-beam capability, Scorpius can simultaneously scan the entire surrounding region for targets, and deploy narrowly focused beams to interfere with multiple threats across the electromagnetic spectrum. The system is able to target a range of threats, including UAVs, ships, missiles, communication links, low probability of interception (LPOI) radars, and more. Scorpius effectively disrupts the operation of their electromagnetic systems, including radar and electronic sensors, navigation, and data communications.

The new system’s technological breakthrough is characterized by unprecedented receiver sensitivity and transmission power (ERP), far exceeding those of legacy EW systems. This allows Scorpius to detect multiple threats, of different kinds, simultaneously, from dramatically increased distances, and to address each threat with a customized response.

The system is available across multiple domains:

• Ground: Scorpius-G (ground) is a ground-based EW system designed to detect and disrupt ground- and airborne threats. Scorpius-G is a mobile system, and can be quickly deployed by vehicle. Scorpius G represents a new category of air defense systems: “Soft-kill” air defense, which creates an electronic dome of protection above a wide geographic sector to neutralize a broad range of modern threats.
• Naval: Scorpius-N (naval) is an EW system dedicated to defending ships against advanced threats in the marine arena, including: Over-the-Horizon Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles, Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) and airborne imaging radars. Scorpius’ extremely high range provides early detection and targeting of threats, which is essential for effective protection in the naval domain.
• Air: Scorpius SP, a self-protection pod for combat aircraft, and the Scorpius SJ, a standoff jammer that disrupts enemy aerial and ground-based electromagnetic operations across a vast sector.
• Training: Scorpius-T (training), unveiled last month, provides EW training for pilots. Scorpius-T can emulate a variety of modern air-defense systems, simultaneously, from a single platform. Its advanced emulation capabilities support training for fifth-generation aircraft. Scorpius T made its debut during the international air force exercise Blue Flag 2021.

Adi Dulberg, General Manager, Intelligence Division, IAI: “The modern battlefield depends on the electromagnetic domain for sensing, communications, and navigation. Protecting the use of the electromagnetic domain for our forces, while denying its use by the enemy, has become mission-critical for success in combat and for ensuring the superiority of our forces in the field. The new technology, developed by IAI’s talented engineers, tips the scale of electronic warfare, providing world-first breakthrough capabilities for electronic defense and disrupting enemy systems”.

About Scorpius-N:

Scorpius-N (ELL-8256SB) is a powerful shipborne, long-distance RF Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) jamming system for accurate multi-beam, multi-technique electronic attacks. Scorpius-N can effectively jam a wide variety of airborne and shipborne systems and anti-ship missiles, such as fire control radars, search radars, AEW sensors, communication emitters, SAR, and other intelligence sensors.

The system is based on advanced and innovative technology featuring Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) with Gallium-Nitride (GaN) Solid State Amplifiers (SSA). The novel design provides exceptional receiver sensitivity and Effective Radiated Power (ERP) transmission, far exceeding those of legacy EW solutions. The enhanced sensitivity and ERP enable Scorpius-N to detect, distort and degrade enemy radars through their side lobes, greatly increasing the system’s jamming effectiveness.

The AESA technology allows for narrow, simultaneous multi-beam operation. Multi-beam forming provides the ability to target multiple threats individually. The system can simultaneously jam numerous emitters over its entire frequency range while covering a wide geographic sector. The system continuously intercepts, tracks, and jams all types of radars, missile seekers and communication systems and displays an Electronic Order of Battle (EOB). The jammer is driven by a pre-programmed Mission Defined File (MDF) and can operate automatically or under direct operator control.

Scorpius-N comprises four conformally-mounted panels on the central mast. The system operates independently or networked with other vessels providing enhanced ECM capabilities.

The system comprises a Set of Transceivers covering a wide frequency range, Control Unit for processing and controlling all ECM operation, and Operator Console for mission planning, maintenance, training, analysis, and debriefing.

Check out Naval Library App to learn more about the specifications of the EW systems.