Sensitive sector
The war in Ukraine also underscores another of Benigni’s predictions harking back to the 1990s: that protection against electronic and cyber warfare in Europe can only be fully achieved with cooperation. “A further lesson is the need for cooperation and the sharing of information among allied forces and organisations to increase the effectiveness of both active and passive approaches,” Benigni says.
He recalls how, over two decades ago, Elettronica first promoted the idea of permanent defence cooperation in Europe in its field, launching with European partners the idea of a European electronic warfare company. “The times were not yet mature enough for that, but the concept is still there,” he says. “We have seen significant initiatives in this way, for missiles, space; and industries are making strong efforts to cooperate in a structured way.” He asserts: “That European defence cooperation is a must is beyond debate.”
Benigni adds: “Electronic warfare is a sensitive sector. In the electronic defence field, geopolitical issues, the willingness of ‘emerging’ countries to grow competences in the field, and competition from new players have created a new landscape for the business and in the approach to the market.”
Elettronica’s pedigree in the European field is undisputed, going back decades, including its involvement in the 1970s Tornado fighter jet programme. Today, Benigni highlights the Eurofighter where the company is responsible for the design and manufacturing of the system to protect the fighter jet from radar-guided and infrared-guided weapons, via sensors and jamming equipment.
EDA? It’s in our DNA
When it comes to European Union initiatives, the support of the European Defence Agency (EDA) has long been evident. In 2017, military helicopter pilots and intelligence officers from Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden took part in EDA’s first-ever helicopter electronic warfare course.
More recently, the EU’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR), involving EDA, includes the CROWN project for electromagnetic spectrum dominance. The consortium comprises 11 participants from seven countries – including Elettronica – as a first step towards an EU programme for a multifunction radar, electronic warfare and communication system that uses technology without end-user restrictions for a single aerial platform by 2027.
Elettronica is also developing its technology in the area of electronic attack in European projects. “We consider as strategic that Europe will develop indigenous solutions and capabilities for airborne electronic attack,” he asserts. “It is part of the recently defined concepts of strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty that are to be extended to other key capabilities in electronic defence.”
Launched under the European Defence Industrial Development (EDIDP) programme, the projects REACT and CARMENTA involve Elettronica. With CARMENTA, where Elettronica is coordinating the 14 companies from eight countries, the aim is a European self-protection system for fixed and rotary wing airborne platforms. In REACT, the goal is to provide a design for an air electronic attack capability in a contested anti-access and area denial environment best known by its shorthand A2/AD.
Sixth-generation convergence?
If there is a wrinkle in Europe’s commitment to defence integration, might it be in the two competing future air programmes?
Britain, Japan and Italy are teaming up to build a sixth-generation fighter jet, in a project involving Elettronica, known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Meanwhile, France, Germany and Spain are building the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), also known as SCAF in French.
Benigni is upfront about the issue in terms of European defence integration. He says it is not only a financial question and mulls whether it will be possible to achieve two demanding programmes by two groups of countries. He also asks if the alignment of requirements of future interoperability among European air forces, of industrial competition instead of cooperation, can work.
“We still believe that, despite the growing difficulties, somewhere along the life of the programmes, some sort of alignment, of convergence, should be implemented,” he says.