Sweden developing counter-jamming capability for Gripen to nullify ‘cheapest A2AD weapon of all time'

With the jamming of global navigation satellite systems becoming a cheap and easy means to deny and to be denied the use of airspace, Saab is developing the means to counter the threat for its Gripen fighter. (Saab)

Sweden and Saab are developing the means to counter jamming of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) of the Gripen combat aircraft in order to deny the enemy “the cheapest anti-access and area denial [A2AD] weapon of all time”, a company official told Janes and other media on 30 September.

Gripen experimental test pilot, Jonas Jakobsson, said that with hostile jamming of global navigation satellite systems capable of shutting down vast swathes of airspace to national allied air forces, efforts are advancing to nullify the threat to ensure the precision that is required for navigation and targeting.

“How do we handle [jamming] in an aircraft that's really dependent on the GNSS to achieve the level of precision that we require? We have intelligence, of course, and civilian NOTAMs [Notice to Airmen] that will say, in this area, we have detected GNSS interference right now. The easiest way to avoid that is to stay away from that area, which all of a sudden has turned the GNSS interference into the cheapest A2AD weapon of all time. You don't have to launch anything, you just radiate, and if that makes you stay out of that area, it's mission accomplished [for your enemy],” Jakobsson said.