Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What are the main electronic warfare systems in the Saab Gripen fighter jet?
Executive summary
Saab’s Gripen family — especially the Gripen E — is described by Saab and defence reporting as fielding a modern, integrated electronic warfare (EW) suite that combines on‑board sensors (missile-warning, IRST, AESA radar), active jammers and expendables, plus podded/airborne jamming systems such as Saab’s Arexis family; Saab and recent coverage emphasise 360°/spherical EW coverage and networked sensor fusion between platforms [1] [2] [3]. Official product material and trade press repeatedly note the Gripen E’s “improved Electronic Warfare system”, multi‑layer sensor fusion and use of Arexis pods and MFS/EW self‑protection functions [4] [5] [3].
1. Gripen’s EW philosophy: integrated, networked "electronic shield"
Saab frames the Gripen E’s EW approach as an integrated, software‑driven “electronic shield” that fuses AESA radar, IRST, missile‑warning systems and datalinked inputs so the aircraft can detect, deter and defeat threats while sharing information with other platforms — a deliberate choice to prioritise EM‑spectrum control and sensor networking rather than relying only on low observability [1] [5] [2].
2. Core on‑board components cited by Saab and reporting
Public material and coverage list several on‑aircraft EW elements: the AESA Raven ES‑05 radar (as part of E‑series upgrades), Infrared Search and Track (IRST)/Skyward‑G sensors for passive detection, missile approach/warning systems (MAW), and sensor fusion that integrates these feeds with communications and datalinks to build 360° situational awareness [6] [1] [2] [5].
3. Active countermeasures and jamming: Arexis and MFS/EW
Independent trade reporting and Saab documentation identify the Arexis family — a set of pylon‑carried electronic attack pods with variants for self‑protection, escort jamming and stand‑off jamming — and the Multi Functional System/Electronic Warfare (MFS/EW) self‑protection suite as central active‑jamming capabilities tested on Gripen demonstrators [3] [4]. Arexis technologies reportedly use wideband digital receivers, DRFM, GaN AESA transmitters and advanced digital processing [3].
4. Passive protection: missile warning and expendables
Sources describe passive systems on Gripen E such as missile warning systems and countermeasure dispensers, and note integration with expendable active‑jammers like BriteCloud has been offered previously; Saab says these passive and expendable measures work alongside active EW to protect survivability [7] [2] [3].
5. Offensive SEAD/EA capabilities and mission flexibility
Saab and promotional material stress that Gripen’s EW is not only defensive but enables offensive Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) and electronic attack missions, claiming full‑spectrum jamming and decoy deployment with 360° coverage and pod‑based flexibility [2] [1]. Trade pieces add that Arexis has escort and stand‑off variants to support such missions [3].
6. Software, modularity and rapid updates
Saab highlights a modular avionics and software architecture that allows rapid updates to EW functions and integration of new algorithms — a selling point for keeping EW performance current against evolving threats [1] [5]. Swedish procurement reporting also cites planned upgrades to maintain interoperability across C/D and E fleets [7] [8].
7. Where the reporting is cautious or silent
Available sources do not mention exhaustive technical specifications (output power, exact frequency bands, antenna counts) or third‑party independent test results comparing Gripen EW performance against specific threats; public coverage focuses on system roles, architectures and marketed capabilities rather than raw technical measures (not found in current reporting). Sources also do not provide adversary‑validated performance data of Arexis or MFS/EW in contested combat operations (not found in current reporting).
8. Competing perspectives and potential marketing bias
Much of the detailed description comes from Saab’s product pages and press releases, which naturally emphasise strengths like “outsmarting threats” and networked EW [9] [1]. Trade reporting and press releases reprise the same claims and add technical terms (DRFM, GaN) but rely heavily on Saab’s narrative; independent verification or critical assessment is not present in the supplied material [3] [4]. Readers should note manufacturer messaging and promotional agreements with customers can shape how capability claims are presented.
9. Bottom line for someone asking "what are the main EW systems?"
Based on the available reporting and Saab material, the main EW building blocks for modern Gripen (especially E) are: integrated on‑board EW/MFS suite (self‑protection), AESA radar and IRST sensors tied into sensor fusion and datalinks, missile‑warning systems and expendables, and podded electronic attack systems (Arexis family) for escort/stand‑off jamming and offensive SEAD tasks [3] [5] [2] [1]. Specific technical performance figures and independent combat validation are not provided in the current set of sources (not found in current reporting).