Following the news that Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been awarded a contract for its Scorpius-SP Airborne Self Protection Jammer by an undisclosed Asian country;

Tushar Mangure, Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The Scorpius-SP jammer’s ability to simultaneously scan a large area for potential Surface-to-Air and Air-to-Air threats using its multi-beam capability will increase the survivability of aircraft and significantly enhance its electronic warfare capabilities. However, the integration of the jamming pods is a highly complex procedure and requires the approval and assistance of aircraft OEMs. There is a high probability that the jamming pod may interfere with on-board radar and the radar warning receiver (RWR), which may impact the performance of these systems. Hence, the acquisition of the jammer could be intended as part of an aircraft upgradation project.

“As the Scorpius-SP Jammer is based on Elta’s popular ELL-8222 pod configuration, there is a possibility that the order was placed by an existing user of the ELL-8222, who has already integrated and deployed the latter on its combat aircrafts. Apart from Israel, India is one of the largest users of the ELL-8222 jammer pod and has integrated it in more than 400 of its frontline combat aircrafts including the Su-30 MKI, Mig-21 Bison, Jaguar, and Tejas. In 2018, the country is also believed to have placed an order for ELL-8222WB pods for the Tejas Mk-1A. India is also in the process of upgrading its fleet of Su-30 MKI with advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, and other related components as part of its Super Sukhoi project.”