Photo: ELTA IAI.
As technology advances incessantly, so too do the deadly threats appearing on the multi-dimensional electronic battlefield. The challenges to forces on the ground, at sea, and in the air are daunting. Examples include sea skimming missiles, powerful imaging radars deployed from aircraft, and long-range air surveillance and defense radars. The list is virtually endless, and to make matters worse; some of these systems are finding their way into the hands of dangerous, rogue nations and non-state actors.
The stakes are high – the loss of highly trained personnel and costly, difficult to replace platforms and equipment may result in failure or even defeat – so it is imperative that forces be equipped with the tools needed to survive and successfully complete their objectives. To this end, Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Group and Subsidiary, ELTA Systems Ltd., has leveraged its five-decade rich technological heritage as the country’s radar and electronic warfare house, and its culture of innovation, to field the Scorpius family of cutting-edge Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. Offering unmatched protection on land, at sea, and in the air, the Scorpius family redefines the state of the art in EW and Electronic Attack system performance.
AESA and GaN – Game Changing Technologies
The Scorpius product range is based on ELTA’s Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA) technology. AESA, built with a staring array of wide-band solid state transceivers, provides a dramatic increase both in receiver sensitivity and in Effective Radiated Power (ERP) – far exceeding legacy EW solutions. Furthermore, AESA technology allows narrow multi-beam operation for reception and transmission, enabling the system to detect and target multiple threats simultaneously, across the entire field of regard.
The Scorpius family also incorporates the latest Gallium Nitrate (GaN) technology, which provides much higher power density and efficiency than previous generation Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) transistors, maximizing power and reducing energy consumption.
Leveraging AESA’s exceptional sensitivity, the Scorpius family is able to detect and track advanced threats such as low probability-of-intercept (LPI) radars and long-range targets. Furthermore, with its superior ERP, Scorpius disrupts and degrades enemy radars with unparalleled effect. Scorpius effectively protects assets against modern airborne, shipborne and land-based threats, including fire-control radars, search radars, active missile seekers, and imaging radars.
Meet the Family
Scorpius-G (ELL-8256SB) Scorpius-G (ELL-8256SB) is a powerful ground-based, state-of-the-art, long-distance RF Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) system. Scorpius-G effectively intercepts, analyzes, locates, tracks and jams a wide variety of airborne and land-based systems including fire control radars, search radars, AEW sensors, and SAR. 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-G to detect, distort and degrade enemy radars even through their side lobes, greatly increasing the system’s jamming effectiveness.
Photo: ELTA IAI.
The AESA technology allows for narrow, simultaneous multi-beam operation. Digital multibeam forming provides unprecedented sensitivity and the ability to target multiple threats individually. The system can detect very low signals, simultaneously jam numerous emitters over its entire frequency range while covering a wide geographic sector and displays an Electronic Order of Battle (EOB). The system is driven by a pre-programmed Mission Data File (MDF) and can operate automatically.
Scorpius-T (ELL-8257SB) Scorpius-T is a multi-threat Electronic Warfare (EW) emulator for aircrew training and system testing and evaluation, creating unprecedented diverse and effective training scenario – including advanced training scenarios for fourth and fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Scorpius-T trains aircrews and EW operators in handling realistic, signal-dense, multi-threat environments.
The system emulates a wide range of emitters, including modern long-range threats. Using a programmable and updatable threat database, current and future threats are supported – including surface-to-air missile systems, radar systems, and communication links.
With AESA multi-beam capability, the system can simultaneously engage multiple trainee aircraft with different threat patterns.
Scorpius-N (ELL-8256SB) is ELTA’s powerful shipborne EW suite combining advanced Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) capabilities. It comprises four conformal antenna array panels, each housing transceiver arrays that cover a wide frequency range, a control unit for processing and managing operations, and an operator console that includes maintenance and training functions.
Photo: ELTA IAI.
Scorpius Escort Jammer (EJ) is designed to suppress all types of air surveillance and fire control radars, creating a safe corridor along a mission flight path. This flexible system can be installed as a pod on the centerline station of a fighter aircraft. Transport and support aircraft can accommodate the pod on an external mount and a version configured for internal installation is also available.
Scorpius-SP (ELL-8222SB) is designed to provide advanced protection to individual aircraft. Mounted within ELTA’s proven, compact, lightweight, low drag pod configuration, which is similar in contour to an air-to-air missile, the system can be installed on all wing stations.
ELTA offers an extensive portfolio of high-performance and field-proven payloads and systems on a wide range of platforms. System solutions cover integrated EW (ESM/ECM), Radar, EO/IR, IMINT, Launch Detection Systems (LDS), SAR/GMTI, SIGINT, and cyber. This ability to deliver game changing solutions such as the Scorpius EW family, at the strategic and tactical levels to customers worldwide, is a key factor in ELTA’s ability to maintain its position as a trailblazer in advanced defense electronics.
