Unveiling Brite Storm: The future of electronic warfare
During the exhibition organised by AUSA (Association of the United States Army), the Leonardo company presented the new electronic warfare system, Brite Storm. It aims to penetrate air defences and enable its own aircraft to operate deep within enemy territory. How does Brite Storm function?
Brite Storm is an electronic warfare (EW) system capable of generating false radar images of non-existent aircraft. According to Leonardo, an enemy attacked using Brite Storm will observe formations of approaching enemy aircraft on their radars. These ghost machines will appear to fly and execute virtual attack attempts and launch non-existent missiles.
According to the system's creators, it’s designed to be credible enough to compel air defences to waste time and resources on detecting, tracking, and attempting to destroy successive formations of non-existent aircraft. This will lead to the depletion of valuable anti-aircraft missiles, which will be fired at apparent targets.
"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," states Leonardo in a press release.
The system is designed to be as versatile and scalable as possible. It can be installed on aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones. During combat missions, these platforms can significantly outperform their manned counterparts.
The scenario for using Brite Storm envisions placing the system on as many aerial platforms as possible, aided by the light weight of a single module—just 3 kilogrammes.
Tests of this solution have already been conducted—the Brite Storm system was tested during flights organised in collaboration with the Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RAF RCO). According to Leonardo, the system has already shown its effectiveness. In the near future, it may prove to be an excellent tool for breaching air defences and ensuring the safety of its own aircraft.
