Multifunctional Jamming System to Counter New Threats

Combining artificial intelligence, digitization, Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA) and 3D printing technologies, HENSOLDT has developed a multi-function jamming system, known as Kalaetron Attack, that can be used actively as an enemy radar jammer in an extremely wide frequency band and as a reconnaissance sensor in passive mode. 

“The latest air defense and combat aircraft radars cover an extremely wide frequency bandwidth or jump between certain frequencies in a fraction of a second, making them extremely difficult to neutralize,” says Celia Pelaz, chief strategy officer and head of the Spectrum Dominance division at HENSOLDT. 

“By combining the latest technologies, we have managed to optimise the emitted power in a targeted way while controlling the electromagnetic spectrum with one receive channel. This would make Kalaetron Attack perfectly suited both as an aircraft self-protection system and in the role of an escort jammer.”

Core elements of the system are a fully-digitized, broadband sensor and effector, a fully-polarizable, electronically controllable jammer and a condensed design of the electronic components only made possible by metallic 3D printing. 

This has made it possible to integrate the AESA jammer into a relatively small pod system that can be easily integrated into flying platforms but also scaled for sea and land applications. The next step in development is to fit it into an aircraft in order to confirm the already outstanding laboratory results in realistic flight tests.

Kalaetron Attack is part of HENSOLDT’s all-digital ‘Kalaetron’ product family. It can be deployed in various configurations on diverse platforms for self-protection, ESM and signal intelligence tasks, depending on customer needs.