At the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C., Leonardo unveiled its latest innovation, the BriteStorm payload, designed to empower armed forces operating deep within enemy territory, even against modern Integrated Air Defence Systems (IADS).
BriteStorm can be deployed on Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to perform ‘stand-in jamming’—an airborne electronic warfare capability that precedes the main force to deliver high-powered interference across a wide spectrum of threats. This capability effectively degrades the enemy’s IADS, diminishing its ability to detect and target friendly forces, thereby enhancing mission success.
The BriteStorm payload is engineered for integration with a diverse range of UAVs and launched effects. It is equipped with an advanced array of digital deception techniques that can be deployed from long distances. Successful flights conducted in collaboration with the UK Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RAF RCO) have already demonstrated the capability of this new system.
Developed at Leonardo’s electronic warfare research and manufacturing facility in Luton, UK, BriteStorm builds on the Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology that underpins the in-service BriteCloud countermeasure. Unlike BriteCloud, which disrupts incoming missiles’ radar guidance systems, BriteStorm is specifically designed to confuse and suppress ground-based surveillance radars, preventing enemies from effectively tracking friendly units.
Utilizing Leonardo’s mission-tested DRFM technology, BriteStorm detects and evaluates the electronic warfare threat landscape to select the most effective countermeasure technique. Its effects can range from overwhelming enemy systems with electronic noise to deploying sophisticated tactics like generating multiple realistic ‘ghost’ fighter jet signatures, thereby misleading enemy responses.
Compact and lightweight, BriteStorm features a standard fit that includes platform-specific antennas, transmit-receive modules, and Leonardo’s Miniature Technique Generator, allowing for easy integration. This makes BriteStorm a viable solution for establishing a powerful, attritable stand-in jamming capability. The development team has leveraged Leonardo’s digital transformation initiatives to create this sophisticated product while ensuring it remains cost-effective and easily deployable.
Beyond the UK Ministry of Defence, Leonardo targets the U.S. Department of Defence as a key potential customer for BriteStorm. The payload offers a strategic advantage in contested electronic warfare environments and can be rapidly reprogrammed to adapt to emerging threats. With demonstration units already present in the USA, Leonardo anticipates growing interest in BriteStorm from customers across Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region.