BAE Systems Tests ‘SABER’ Tech for Next-Gen U.S.A.F. Electronic Warfare Aircraft

BAE Systems said it has flight tested its Small Adaptive Bank of Electronic Resources (SABER) technology, paving the way for a critical software upgrade to the EC-37B Compass Call, a next-generation electronic warfare aircraft.

Teams from both BAE Systems and the U.S. Air Force conducted tests on 11 flights of an EC-130H from Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

The SABER system is a major technological advance – transitioning from hardware to software-based electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) warfare capability for the U.S. Air Force and its Compass Call weapon system. The system is built on a suite of software defined radios using an open system architecture and will provide the backbone of the EC-37B’s operating system.

“SABER allows flexibility to update systems without significant physical reconfiguration,” said Pam Potter, director of Electronic Attack Solutions at BAE Systems. “It also adapts to new applications as well as revisions to existing applications. It is the technology that will enable the U.S. Air Force to rapidly and proactively respond to emerging enemy threat systems.”

SABER complies with Department of Defense standards to embed protective measures during product design, as well as leverages an open architecture to enable hosting of various government contracted applications.

Additional SABER testing in 2021 will focus on simultaneity of engagement capacity, dynamic resource sharing, rapid integration, and operation of multiple additional applications. Work on SABER is being conducted at BAE Systems’ state-of-the-art facility in Hudson, N.H.