Royal Air Force to trial new drone-mounted jammer from Leonardo

Leonardo has launched the BriteStorm system, which is able to perform ‘stand-in jamming’ – an airborne electronic warfare capability, deployed ahead of the main force, to deliver high-powered interference against a spectrum of threats. 

The UK Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) is working with Leonardo in relation to the capability and has purchased payloads to conduct trials. Successful flights with the RCO proving the capability have already taken place.

The BriteStorm payload can be installed on a wide range of uncrewed systems and launched effects. It equips each platform with an array of digital deception techniques, deployable at long range. The system builds on the mission-tested Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology which is part of Leonardo’s BriteCloud countermeasure. In contrast to BriteCloud, which is designed to disrupt incoming missiles’ radar guidance systems, BriteStorm has been engineered to confuse and suppress ground-based surveillance radars, preventing the enemy from tracking and then engaging friendly forces.

BriteStorm works by using Leonardo’s DRFM technology to detect and evaluate the electronic warfare threat environment and then choose the most relevant countermeasure technique. Depending on the situation, BriteStorm’s effects can range from barraging the enemy system with electronic noise to more sophisticated techniques such as creating dozens of realistic ‘ghost’ fighter jet signatures, confusing and misdirecting the enemy response.

A standard BriteStorm fit incorporates a platform-specific antenna, transmit-receive modules and Leonardo’s Miniature Technique Generator. BriteStorm has been designed to be readily exportable, with demonstration units already in the United States and Leonardo views the US Department of Defense as a potential customer for the system.