Thales and Autonomous Devices team up on drone-based electronic warfare system
Thales and Britain’s Autonomous Devices are co-developing a drone-based electronic warfare system aimed at protecting military forces and high-value assets against fast-changing threats. The program, called EW-UAS, combines an unmanned aircraft from Autonomous Devices with an electronic warfare payload and systems integration work from Thales in a turnkey package.
The tie-up reflects a wider military shift toward mobile, recoverable and reusable platforms for electronic warfare missions. Recent conflicts have underscored the growing value of both defensive and offensive electronic warfare across the battlefield. Thales said the new system will also draw on its experience in command-and-control integration and on the certifications needed for drones to operate in both civil and military airspace, a key step for expanding how and where such systems can be deployed.
The companies are positioning EW-UAS for maritime and land operations. In naval missions, the drone is intended to help defend ships against emerging threats, including anti-ship missiles, by detecting incoming dangers and launching electronic countermeasures designed to defeat them without expending hard-kill munitions. Thales said the aircraft’s speed, agility and endurance would allow crews to deploy it quickly and extend protection around strategic assets.
On land and at sea, the system is also designed to support jamming missions that disrupt an adversary’s radar surveillance and targeting chain. It can operate as a passive detection and surveillance platform, widening threat coverage and giving forces earlier warning. By repositioning quickly, the drone can detect hostile radar emissions tied to surveillance, targeting or weapon guidance, then jam or manipulate those signals to create false radar pictures. That kind of deception can confuse radar operators, push missiles off course and reduce the chances that sensitive assets are found or tracked.
The project adds to a series of joint efforts between the two companies and highlights how electronic warfare is moving onto smaller, more agile unmanned systems. If successful, the approach could give armed forces a more flexible and reusable way to extend electronic protection, complicate enemy targeting and strengthen survivability in contested environments.