Military Technology 06/2021

76 · MT 6/2021 Industrial Focus actual threat – effecting cockpit alerts as if engaged by an advanced mis- sile system. No other training system currently available can provide this experience. SCORPIUS-T also supports large-scale, complex exercises by simulta- neously generating multiple radar threats and engaging multiple aircraft. AESA makes this possible by enabling the system to track multiple air- craft and transmit tailored signals directly at identified targets, to provide a realistic signal-dense, multi-threat training environment. The system is also designed to support EW system testing and evaluation. Mounted on a single, rugged, off-road vehicle, SCORPIUS-T is easily positioned where needed. Additional units can be networked and posi- tioned, to accurately replicate an actual operational integrated air defence system (IADS). Let the Training Begin SCORPIUS-T features a Command and Control Center (CCC) where training scripts, including rules of engagement, are prepared for each trainee. System operators programme the emulated anti-aircraft radars, including their full activation sequences – from search, acquisition and track, to launch. Pilots receive their flight paths, and the CCC prepares surprises to test pilot proficiency in dealing with threats in real time. The exercise commences – fighters, unmanned aircraft and helicop- ters attack designated targets in accordance with the scripts. Multiple threats engage the incoming aircraft, forcing pilots to react. To further challenge them, additional surprises are introduced, by launching simu- lated missile attacks. The system can quickly react, or update simulated threats and their parameters as part of the shifting scenario. The system’s highly sensitive AESA receivers continuously evaluate ECM response. SCORPIUS-T is also able to transmit ECM against aircraft radars to test pilot reaction in a densely-cluttered environment. The system simulates the approaching missiles and, if the CCC iden- tifies a hit, notifies the pilot that he/she has been eliminated. Upon com- pletion, trainees review performance in an in-depth post-flight debriefing. The staff can then review in-flight performance highlights, and conduct ‘what-if’ analysis, geared towards improving flight tactics and the use of on-board systems. SCORPIUS-T‘s first publicly-acknowledged deployment came in October 2021 in the Israeli Air Force‘s biannual Blue Flag exercise – with participation from seven other air forces. A particular emphasis was on training fifth-generation aircraft operators. The IAF invited ELTA to deploy SCORPIUS-T, to provide the first-ever live training against advanced air defence threats – highly relevant to the participating forces. A Proven Track Record ELTA offers an extensive portfolio of high-performance, field-prov- en payloads on a wide range of platforms; from strategic ISR satellites, multi-mission aircraft and UAVs, to tactical drones and ground systems. System solutions cover integrated EW (ESM/ECM), radar, EO/IR, IMINT, launch detection systems (LDS), SAR/GMTI, SIGINT, and cyber. SCORPIUS-T, with its new, innovative approach designed to truly pre- pare air crews to deal with the latest threats, continues ELTA‘s long legacy as a trailblazer in advanced defence electronics. A Quantum Leap in Live EW Training The multi-beam capability of the AESA technology at its core houses the real secret of SCORPIUS-T’s unique offering. (Image: IAI/ELTA) As technology advances, so too do the threats on the multi-dimension- al electronic battlefield. The challenges to forces on the ground, at sea, and in the air, are daunting: examples include stealth aircraft, advanced cruise and hypervelocity missiles, powerful imaging radars deployed from aircraft and satellites, long-range air surveillance and defence radars, and advanced surface-to-air missiles. Aircrews need to be trained to survive and successfully complete their objectives while confronting these evolving threats. To this end, ELTA Systems Ltd, the defense electronics subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel‘s largest aerospace and defence company, has leveraged its rich five-decade technological heritage and culture of in- novation to field SCORPIUS-T (ELL-8257SB), an advanced multi-threat emitter solution for use in live EW training, as well as systems testing and evaluation. AESA and GaN – Game Changing Technologies SCORPIUS-T is based on ELTA’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technology. Built with a ‘staring’ array of wide-band solid state transceivers, AESA offers a dramatic increase in receiver sensitiv- ity, effective radiated power (ERP) and scan rate – far exceeding legacy solutions. The latter, using traditional dish antennae, can transmit to a given location in the sky and then slowly scan, but they are incapable of mimicking modern air defence and missile radar systems, which em- ploy fast electronic scanning and advanced modes such as simultaneous search and track. AESA technology overcomes these limitations, enabling instantaneous electronic scanning and facilitating the emulation of mod- ern threats as never before seen in EW trainers. In addition, AESA offers multi-beam operation, empowering the ability to simultaneously emulate multiple threats. SCORPIUS-T incorporates the latest gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which facilitates more efficient operation than previous generation gal- lium arsenide (GaS) transistors, maximising power and reducing energy consumption. Train Hard, Fight Easy SCORPIUS-T accurately emulates the radar emissions of the fielded systems, legacy and modern, encountered in today‘s battlespace. An easily programmable, updatable threat database ensures future delivery of realistic, up-to-date training. The system incorporates diverse training scenarios to challenge ad- vanced fourth- and fifth-generation fighters equipped with sophisticated radar and EW systems. Only a modern AESA trainer can provide realis- tic threat emulation and properly exercise pilots operating such aircraft. Flying against SCORPIUS-T, pilots experience a close simulation of the SCORPIUS-T can be used from a variety of fixed or mobile platforms. (Photo: IAI/ELTA)