US Navy Adopts BAE Systems’ EW Missile Shield for Poseidon Warplane

The U.S. Navy will protect its Poseidon P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft against missile threats through the electronic warfare countermeasure pods that it has ordered from BAE Systems for $95 million. 

The purchase order follows a $4 million rapid-response contract that the Navy awarded to BAE Systems in 2021 to fast-track the development and demonstration of a pod-mounted radio frequency countermeasure system for the Poseidon. In addition to protecting the warplane and its crew, the equipment enables the aircraft to expand its operational area in contested environments, BAE Systems said. 

Don Davidson, BAE Systems’ director of advanced compact electronic warfare solutions, said the company worked closely with the Navy and used “proven technology” to quickly prototype the EW countermeasure pods.

Designed with early threat detection capability for effective countermeasures, the equipment features a flexible, open architecture enabling rapid and less costly upgrades. The pods are compatible with other BAE Systems EW countermeasures and can accommodate third-party methods. 

The Poseidon shield pods belong to BAE Systems’ Intrepid Shield product family, which includes the AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems that the U.S. Army ordered in February. BAE Systems is working on the Poseidon EW pods at facilities in Nashua, New Hampshire, and Austin, Texas.