Selex Galileo is the largest supplier of airborne electronic warfare (EW) equipment in Europe, and third only in the world behind BAE Systems North America and Northrop Grumman. This part of the Italian group’s business is in the hands of UK-based operation, which now boasts annual revenues of nearly £600 million ($980 million) and an order book of well over £1 billion ($1.64 billion). It produces radar and laser warning receivers, missile warning systems, radio frequency jammers and (through a partnership with Northrop Grumman) directed infrared counter measures (DIRCM).
According to Steve Roberts, chief technology officer, today’s surface-to-air threats are diverse, mobile and proliferating. “Small countries are buying the SA-15, and the Chinese have Crotale and S-300-like systems,” he said. And the EW equipment to counter them must have wideband frequency coverage, which means all the way from 5Ghz to 40GHz.
