Airbus Defence and Space Electronics and Border Security (EBS) has added a portable jamming system to its family of Counter-UAV products which detects illicit intrusions of small drones over critical areas and offers electronic countermeasures minimizing the risk of collateral damage.
“Together with our partners, we have created a modular counter-UAV system which is extremely effective”, said Thomas Müller, CEO of Airbus DS EBS (future HENSOLDT). “Due to its versatility, it is able to offer maximum protection under a variety of conditions and ranges”.
The most recent addition to the company’s “Xpeller” product line is a lightweight jamming system from South African HENSOLDT subsidiary GEW Technologies, completing the capability range of the existing portfolio. Up to now, the modular “Xpeller” product family consisted of future HENSOLDT’s own products (radars, infrared cameras and long-range jammers), close-in RF detectors from Danish partner company myDefence and short-range optical-acoustic-RF sensors from US partner Dedrone.
The system combines sensor data from different sources with state-of-the-art data fusion, signal analysis and jamming technologies. It uses radars, optical and other sensors to detect and identify the drone and assess its threat potential at ranges from a few hundred metres up to several kilometers depending on the type of drone. Based on an extensive threat library and real-time analysis of control signals, a jammer then interrupts the link between drone and pilot and/or its navigation. The modular “Xpeller” system concept relies on the selection of individual devices from the product family depending on customer requirements and local conditions.
With the completion of the capability spectrum, “Xpeller” is able to protect sensitive areas against illicit intrusions of small drones, ranging from individual buildings through big events to airports. “Xpeller” has been tested extensively at future HENSOLDT’s own premises and during customer presentations in Germany, France and Switzerland. An operational system is available on the market with delivery time depending on the required configuration.
