Lockheed Martin successfully tested an electronic warfare pod for use in helicopters to detect and deceive anti-ship missiles. Trials of the Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare system (AOEW) were conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland with the Sikorsky MH-60R helicopter on December 12.
The U.S. military is attempting to reinvigorate its electronic warfare arsenal after years of post-Cold War atrophy, as weapons guidance, friendly communications, and suppression of enemy observations rely on the manipulation of the electromagnetic spectrum. The AOEW is designed to extend a ship’s defense and can work independently aboard the helicopter.
Delivery of the first AOEW units is expected in the coming year. Further testing with helicopters is planned for 2024. Lockheed Martin is the largest government contractor in the world when ranked by defense-related revenue, earning $63.3 billion in 2022.
