ESM 이탈리아, EA-37B 컴퍼스콜 전자전기 개량용 전자전장비 구입 FMS 허가받음

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When Computers Went To Sea | 이탈리아, 걸프스트림 비즈제트기 3기를 EC-37 전자전기형으로 개조 계획중 - Daum 카페

이탈리아, 걸프스트림 비즈제트기 3기를 EC-37 전자전기형으로 개조 계획중

이탈리아가 G550 비즈젯 3기(2기+1기 옵션)을 EA-37B 컴퍼스 콜 전자전기 사양으로 개조하기로 작년 결정했는데, 10월 7일 이에 필요한 각종 전자전 장비 도입 FMS 허가를 받았냈습니다. FMS 규모는 6억 8천만 달러입니다. 

Italy – Electronic Attack Mission System | Defense Security Cooperation Agency (dsca.mil)

Italy – Electronic Attack Mission System

PDF Version

Press Release - Italy 24-98 CN.pdf

Media/Public Contact

pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No

24-98

WASHINGTON, October 7, 2024 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Italy of Electronic Attack Mission System and related equipment for an estimated cost of $680 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Italy has requested to buy the Electronic Attack (EA)-37B mission system, consisting of the following non-Major Defense Equipment: Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) systems; System Control and Monitoring subsystems; Radio Frequency Receiver (RFR) subsystems; Software-defined Radio (SDR) subsystems; Counter Radar Assembly; Array Panels; AN/ARC-210 RT-2036 radios; KG-250 In-line Network Encryptors; KY-100 Narrow/wideband Terminals; KIV-77 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF); AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders; integration and test support and equipment; aircraft support and support equipment; secure communications equipment, precision navigation, and cryptographic devices; major and minor modifications, maintenance, and maintenance support; spare parts, consumables and accessories, and repair and return support; classified and unclassified software delivery and support; classified and unclassified publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; facilities and construction support; transportation and airlift support; warranties; studies and surveys; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $680 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.

The proposed sale will improve Italy’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing interoperability with the United States Air Force (USAF) and disrupting enemy command and control communications when Italy is contributing to overseas contingency operations. Italy will have no difficulty absorbing these articles into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be BAE Systems, located in Hudson, NH. The U.S. government is not aware of any offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Italy.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military-Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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U.S. Approves EA-37B Compass Call Foreign Military Sale to Italy - The Aviationist

U.S. Approves EA-37B Compass Call Foreign Military Sale to Italy

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U.S. Approves EA-37B Compass Call Foreign Military Sale to Italy

Last updated: October 8, 2024 7:13 AM

Stefano D'Urso

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An EA-37B lands at Offutt AFB on Aug. 28, 2024, shortly after the delivery to the 55th Electronic Combat Group. (Screencap from U.S. Air Force video by Dave Farley, JB Artley, and Kevin Schwandt)

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The State Department approved the FMS to Italy of an unspecified number of EA-37B aircraft, two years after the MoD first mentioned the intention of acquiring the Electronic Attack system.

The U.S. State Department has approved on Oct. 7, 2024, the Foreign Military Sale to Italy of the EA-37B and its Electronic Attack Mission System. The announcement comes two years after the Italian Ministry of Defense first mentioned the intention of acquiring the Electronic Attack system to equip two Gulfstream G-550 aircraft.

Contents

The State Department approved the FMS to Italy of an unspecified number of EA-37B aircraft, two years after the MoD first mentioned the intention of acquiring the Electronic Attack system.The Italian P-MMMS program and the Electronic Attack capabilityThe EA-37B Compass Call

According to the DSCA notice, Italy has requested to buy the Electronic Attack (EA)-37B mission system, consisting of the following non-Major Defense Equipment: Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) systems; System Control and Monitoring subsystems; Radio Frequency Receiver (RFR) subsystems; Software-defined Radio (SDR) subsystems; Counter Radar Assembly; Array Panels; AN/ARC-210 RT-2036 radios; KG-250 In-line Network Encryptors; KY-100 Narrow/wideband Terminals; KIV-77 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF); AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders.

In addition to these components, the program includes support, training, spares, maintenance and documentation. The quantities of each component were not disclosed, however Italy previously mentioned the will to acquire two aircraft. The estimated total cost is $680 million (€ 620 million).

“The proposed sale will improve Italy’s capability to meet current and future threats by increasing interoperability with the United States Air Force (USAF) and disrupting enemy command and control communications when Italy is contributing to overseas contingency operations,” mentioned the FMS notice. Italy will become, this way, the first foreign government to acquire the highly classified Compass Call system and the Italian Air Force will become one of the few operators to field a combat proven, state-of-the-art and highly effective Electronic Attack capability.

The first EA-37B ahead of the delivery in 2023. (Photo: BAE Systems)The Italian P-MMMS program and the Electronic Attack capability

As part of the multiyear defense planning document (Documento Programmatico Pluriennale della Difesa) for 2022-2024, the Italian Government mentioned the completion of the acquisition of the Gulfstream G550-based CAEW/BM&C capability, as well as a new Electronic Warfare capability. The program, known as P-MMMS (Piattaforma Multi-Missione, Multi- Sensore/Multi-Mission, Multi-Sensor Platform), is aimed at obtaining a modern asset that can be integrated in a net-centric C4ISTAR architecture and later adapted for multi-domain operations.

As we reported in 2021, a number of “clean” G550 are being acquired to be converted at a later stage. These aircraft, that the document calls “green base JAMMS”, are scheduled to be converted in the Full Mission Capable CAEW and Electronic Combat variants. The DPP 2022-2024 first hinted at the Electronic Combat variant of the aircraft being the then EC-37B Compass Call in an entry saying: “Completion of the acquisition program for new aircraft equipped for and dedicated to Electronic Warfare operations (EC-37B)”.

As part of P-MMMS program, the Italian Air Force already acquired two G550 CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) aircraft. In 2020 the requirement for a new SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) aircraft emerged among those included in the Defense Policy Document for 2020-2022 (Documento Programmatico della Difesa 2020-2022), in the form of two JAMMS (Joint Airborne Multi-sensor Multi-mission System) aircraft.

The Italian JAMMS program is structured in more tranches: the first one, worth 1.2B Euro, covers the acquisition of the first two Full Mission Capable (FMC) aircraft and six “green” airframes that can be converted at a later stage to either JAMMS or CAEW configurations, together with logistic and infrastructural support. The Italian Air Force plans to operate a fleet of ten special mission modified G550s. The second one, worth 925M Euro, covers the modification of 4 out of 6 green airframes.

In 2023, Italy’s Secretariat General of Defence / National Armaments Directorate (which is responsible for the procurement of materiel, equipment and weapon systems for the Italian Armed Forces) approved the Italian Air Force request to convert two of the green G550s, with options for a third, to the FMC Electronic Attack (EA) configuration as part of the second tranche of the program.

The Directorate determined that the only solution capable of satisfying the requirements is the EC-37 being developed by the U.S. Air Force for the Compass Call Rehost program. After the modification to the EC-37B “variant”, the G550 will externally be similar to the CAEW jets already in service in Italy.

The first missionized EA-37B flies for the first time from L3Harris’ facilities. (Photo: L3Harris)The EA-37B Compass Call

The Compass Call system is an airborne tactical electronic attack weapon system installed on a heavily modified version of the C-130 Hercules, called EC-130H Compass Call. This system disrupts enemy command and control communications, radars, and navigation systems and limits adversary coordination, which is essential for enemy force management.

Following the type’s retirement announced in 2014, the U.S. Air Force initiated the Compass Call Rehost program, which is moving the current Compass Call systems from the EC-130H to the new EA-37B, based on the Gulfstream G550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning Aircraft (CAEW) airframe. The G550 has increased speed, endurance, and extended stand-off range over the legacy EC-130H aircraft, says L3Harris, providing significantly improved survivability, as well as providing improved stand-off jamming capability and flexibility to counter sophisticated communications and radar threats.

As the U.S. Department of Defense’s only long-range, full-spectrum stand-off electromagnetic warfare jamming platform, the Compass Call plays a key role in the US Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) strategy, alongside the EA-18G Growler and the F-16CM Block 50/52 Fighting Falcon. Future upgrades will boost counter-C5ISRT capabilities, incorporating software-defined radios and an open architecture to quickly adapt to emerging threats.

The first five EA-37B aircraft will host the current Baseline 3 variant of Compass Call, which will be “transplanted” from the retired EC-130Hs. The remaining aircraft are scheduled to receive the upgraded Baseline 4 variant currently in development, which will reportedly introduce a new low-band jammer system. It is not known which variant will be requested by the Italian Air Force and also which variant the US open will be open to provide.

The first EA-37B with an EC-130 Compass Call. (Photo: L3Harris)

The core of the new Baseline 4 system is BAE Systems’ Small Adaptive Bank of Electronic Resources (SABER) technology, built around a suite of Software Defined Radios (SDRs) utilizing an open system architecture. SABER represents a significant technological leap, enabling the transition of the Compass Call weapon system from a hardware-based platform to a software-driven electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) warfare capability.

Considering that the EC-37B airframe has a much smaller size than the EC-130H, reducing the size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements of the prime mission equipment was a key point of the program. This was achieved thanks to the new open-system hardware and software solution that is being adopted for the EC-37B which, by the way, also resulted in a much lower cooling requirement for all onboard electronics.

As a result of all the program’s efforts, the EC-37B’s operating costs will be cut in half compared to the EC-130H Compass Call, while also being able to perform its mission at higher altitudes and speed and longer ranges and durations. The G550-based aircraft will also be optimized to perform missions in Anti-Access, Area-Denial (A2/AD) environments, while also being able to be easily upgraded to face new threats thanks to its Modular Open Systems Architecture.

Even more advanced capabilities could find their way into the Compass Call’s electronics and software, as Chris O’Donnell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management, said in 2022 that the Department of Defense needs targeted investments and innovative and novel capabilities, such as cognitive EW, to keep the edge over adversaries and to counter advanced and non-traditional threats. As a matter of fact, cognitive EW capabilities are already being tested with the Angry Kitten ECM pod, so it is totally expectable that someday they will end up on the EC-37B.

You can find out more about the EC-37B Compass Call in the detailed report we published here at The Aviationist last year.

TAGGED:Compass CallEA-37BEC-37BG550Italian Air Force

[백선호]

G550 CAEW 조기경보기를 이미 쓰고 있으니 후속지원 체제는 이미 있는 셈이네요.

[위종민]

비즈젯 중에서도 저 G550이 군용기 시장을 많이 가져가네요. 한국도 혹시나 조기경보기 2차에서 L3해리스사제 제품이 선정되거나 한다면 다른 전자전기 베이스도 이 기체가 선정될 지도 모르겠습니다.