Euronaval 2026: L3Harris pitches digital upgrades for legacy EW systems

L3Harris's ReconneX D7000 provides digital radar and communications electronic support measures for surface ships and submarines. (L3Harris)

L3Harris is pitching digital upgrades for its analogue electronic warfare (EW) systems, deployed across the fleets of more than 20 nations, Patrick Creighton, vice president, electronic warfare division at L3Harris told Janes at the Euronaval 2026 exhibition, held in Paris from 3-6 November.

L3Harris can upgrade its legacy systems through its ReconneX family of systems. The company says its digital EW suite can detect activity across a wider span of radio frequencies (RF) than systems such as its ES-3601 and ES-5080. It says the analogue systems are less effective amid the high levels of signal activity found in contemporary conflicts.

The US Navy tested the ES-3601 aboard an Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship, using Learjet aircraft equipped with anti-ship cruise missile seeker simulators to represent threats. The system detected the seekers in most instances but did not reliably identify some threats, according to a Congressional Research Service report published on 19 May 2017.

“We can upgrade a lot of those analogue systems with this digital backend without requiring a full replacement of the systems themselves,” Creighton said.

ReconneX comprises three electronic support systems: the D7000, D5000, and D3000 series. They provide RF detection for different types of platforms, from larger to littoral vessels, and unmanned vehicles operating in the air or at sea, respectively. L3Harris can retain the ship's existing cabling and antenna, replacing only the hardware unit. Creighton said the systems could support subsurface applications, including submarines, using an antenna aperture mounted on a submarine mast.

The latest system – D3000 – is intended for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Creighton said, with a size of around 15 × 10 cm.