According to Rafael, the new system is intended to address what the company described as a significant operational gap in unmanned operations, namely the limited availability of combat-proven active electronic warfare protection systems for unmanned aerial vehicles. The company stated that increasingly sophisticated air defence systems and contested electromagnetic environments have increased the vulnerability of unprotected unmanned platforms.
Rafael said the growing shift towards conducting operational missions with unmanned systems requires defensive capabilities compatible with the size, weight and cost limitations of UAV platforms. Storm Shield was developed as a lightweight electronic warfare system designed to provide self-protection and deception against multiple threat types.
The company stated that the system continuously monitors the electromagnetic spectrum and autonomously detects, analyses, generates and transmits signals. According to Rafael, the system provides 360-degree spatial coverage regardless of the platform’s orientation or manoeuvring.
Rafael said Storm Shield is built around an AESA transmitter architecture using solid-state transmit-receive modules together with DRFM-based signal generation and Digital RF Memory technologies. The company stated that these technologies have previously been validated operationally within Rafael’s wider electronic warfare portfolio before being miniaturised for unmanned systems.
According to the company, the system is fully programmable and supports mission-specific software configurations. Rafael added that the modular architecture enables integration across a broad range of unmanned aerial platforms using standardised components.
The company stated that key capabilities include broad frequency coverage, direction-finding, autonomous electromagnetic monitoring and advanced deception techniques against radar-guided threats. Rafael also said the system is designed for future upgrades, adaptability and long-term maintenance across multiple UAV platforms.
According to Rafael, Storm Shield is based on electronic warfare technologies already in operational service. The company stated that the system provides operators with a capability derived from technologies previously validated in operational conditions rather than from an experimental development programme.
