The consortium led by Indra, in collaboration with European companies such as Hensoldt, Elettronica, and Saab, is ready to start working on an electronic warfare capability for the European Union. The project, known as Responsive Electronic Attack for Cooperative Tasks (REACT), aims to protect European aircraft from missile attacks by developing a system capable of interfering with target signals and disabling the adversary’s electronic warfare emitters.

The consortium was selected to receive funding from the European Defence Fund (EDF), and the second phase of the REACT program is scheduled to begin in the coming months. The need for airborne electronic attack (AEA) capabilities has become essential as European forces face increasingly sophisticated integrated long-range air defense systems.

During the first phase of the project, industry partners developed operational scenarios and studied potential threats for the next 15-20 years. This led to the creation of an architecture, specification, and preliminary design of AEA capabilities. The second phase of the project will focus on demonstrating these capabilities through the testing of different prototypes.

In addition to the capabilities described in the EDF report, the consortium aims to develop a modular system based on a reconfigurable architecture. They also plan to define and digitize electronic attack missions at the European level and establish a baseline scenario to coordinate missions between different assets and nations.

The REACT II program is expected to last for four years and have an approximate cost of 69.7 million euros, with a contribution of 40 million euros from the European Union. It will involve studies, design, prototyping, testing, and qualification of the new capability. The program will be managed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the participating nations.

Funding for REACT II comes from the European Defence Fund and the defense ministries of Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Poland. Other countries, such as Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Poland, are also providing industrial participation and support.

Sources:
– European Defence Fund fact sheet
– Pablo González, director of NATO and European and Space Defence Programs at Indra