Military drone for electronic warfare: Thales and Autonomous Devices show EW-UAS1 at DSEI

Thales and the British company Autonomous Devices have presented a jointly developed military drone for electronic warfare (EW) at the DSEI defence exhibition. The drone-based platform is designated EW-UAS1 and is aimed at naval and land forces.

The system combines the drone know-how of Autonomous Devices with Thales’ expertise in command and integration in the field of electronic warfare. At the same time, it “meets the certification requirements for operations in both civil and military airspace”, according to a recent press release.

The background is the growing role electronic warfare plays in today’s conflicts, both defensively and offensively. To use their EW systems effectively, armed forces need platforms that are agile, offer long endurance and can easily be reused. This is where the new turnkey system comes in.

Marie Gayrel, Vice President Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Thales, says: “The drone-based solution developed by Thales and Autonomous Devices is a technological game changer. It gives armed forces a reliable, passive capability to counter modern threats while providing long-range screening of sensitive assets.”

Ken Wahren, CEO of Autonomous Devices, adds: “The integration of these technologies unlocks EW capabilities far beyond the previous state of the art – a decisive step towards providing highly effective countermeasures against rapidly evolving threats.”

What the military drone is meant to achieve against anti-ship missiles

The EW-UAS is designed above all to protect warships against modern anti-ship missiles. Speed, agility and endurance allow the drone to be deployed rapidly: it is to detect incoming missiles early and defeat them with electronic countermeasures – soft kill (electronic defence).

In addition, the system covers sensitive units on land and at sea with jamming missions that hamper the adversary’s radar reconnaissance and target acquisition. Besides active jamming, passive surveillance is also possible, which considerably extends the range of threat detection. EW-UAS can locate hostile radar emissions, for example for weapon guidance, target tracking or reconnaissance, and then jam or manipulate them.

Such deception manoeuvres create an alternative radar picture: hostile operators are confused, missiles are diverted from their course, and friendly high-value assets remain undetected from the outset.