The first flight tests of a new advanced Electronic Attack Jammer Pod (EAJP) on a Gripen fighter were successfully conducted by Saab earlier this month.

The pod's interfaces with the aircraft’s hardware and software as well as cockpit control and monitoring were tested during the flight. The purpose of Saab’s new EAJP pod is to protect aircraft against radars by using sophisticated jamming functions.

“This new pod is an important part of the development of our new electronic attack capability”, says Anders Carp, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab’s business area Surveillance.

Saab is sharpening its electronic attack capabilities and the new advanced pod is an important element of this development. The EAJP is a strong complement to the built-in electronic attack capabilities of the highly advanced on-board electronic warfare system on Saab’s new Gripen E/F fighter. It can also be used on other aircraft types.

The pod forms part of Saab’s Arexis family of electronic warfare systems. Electronic warfare systems are also used for self-protection by passively detecting hostile radar systems and missiles, protecting the aircraft or platform by using active and passive countermeasures.

Offensive electronic warfare, also known as electronic attack, involves actively sending jamming signals to disrupt sensors in the enemy’s air defence systems so they no longer constitute a threat.

The Gripen E/F features both active and passive measures to disrupt enemy attacks. Its advanced electronic warfare system can deploy hard kill countermeasures against the enemy or soft kill countermeasures in order to reduce their ability to react.