Finmeccanica - Selex ES will provide new equipment to SAAB, which will equip the new Gripen E for the Swedish Air Force with 60 Skyward G-IRST (infra-red search and track), infrared search and track systems made in the Selex ES plant of Nerviano (Milan).

The Skyward-G IRST is a long-range electro-optical sensor. It is a passive system that does not emit any signals of its own when in use. It detects the heat signatures of other airborne systems but cannot be detected in return. This provides a great tactical advantage.

With the IRST a Gripen can detect and track enemy targets, including aircraft, naval vessels and ground vehicles. The system also has a significant ‘counter-stealth’ capability and, when used alone or in conjunction with Gripen’s other sensors, it can produce high-fidelity tracking information against complex targets over long ranges, well beyond visual range.

Delivering 30% of the aircraft’s electronics, Selex ES is a major participant in the Gripen E program: in addition to Skyward-G, the company also provides the fighter aircraft with its radar and Mode 5 Identification Friend/Foe (IFF) systems. In July, the company signed a production contract for the Raven ES-05 AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar.

In addition, at the end of  2013 Saab has selected the new radio frequency jamming device BriteCloud as an electronic warfare enhancement option on all Gripen E aircraft And always, the first fighter to offer to their customers this innovative system, unique in the market.

The use of the new device has recently been tested as part of a campaign of flights in Sweden that have confirmed the operation effectiveness and safety during the three flights and the three releases carried out by a standard countermeasures dispenser installed on Gripen.

BriteCloud is a self-contained digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) jammer that is designed to protect fighter jets from complex threats such as RF-guided missiles and fire-control radars. After manual or automatic ejection from a standard chaff and flare dispenser, BriteCloud detects RF emissions and cross-references them against its pre-programmed threat library. Upon finding a match, the decoy applies advanced algorithms and emits a deception signal to defeat the threat radar and incoming missile so that the aircraft is able to carry on safely and concentrate on its mission.