Saab has secured two major contracts from Airbus worth a combined 549 million euros ($676 million) to enhance Germany’s Eurofighter fleet with its advanced Arexis Electronic Warfare (EW) sensor suite. The first contract, valued at 291 million euros ($337 million), extends a previous agreement signed in March 2024 to integrate the Arexis system into the upcoming Eurofighter EK (Elektronischer Kampf) variant. The second order, also valued at 291 million euros, includes new AI-enabled EW technologies co-developed by Saab and its partner Helsing, pending final approval from authorities. Deliveries under both deals are scheduled between 2025 and 2028.
The Arexis EW suite, originally designed as a podded system for the Swedish Gripen, has evolved into a highly flexible platform that can be fully integrated into an aircraft, mounted in a mission-specific pod, or deployed as a payload for unmanned aerial systems. Powered by high-power gallium nitride AESA technology, wideband receivers, and advanced digital radio-frequency memory (DRFM) systems, Arexis enables jamming of “anti-stealth” radars and provides improved survivability in heavily contested A2/AD environments. The suite will replace the Eurofighter’s current wingtip pods that house the Defensive Aids Sub-System.
Germany plans to retrofit 15 Eurofighters selected for the EK program as part of its effort to replace the aging Tornado ECR electronic warfare fleet. These aircraft will be fully certified for NATO missions by 2030. Additionally, Germany’s newly ordered 20 Tranche 5 Eurofighters will also receive the EK configuration. Alongside Saab’s Arexis suite, the Eurofighter EK will deploy the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), which uses an active millimeter-wave radar seeker capable of homing in on enemy air defense radars even after they stop transmitting.
