This post is also available in:
עברית (Hebrew)
Modern air defense systems are becoming increasingly difficult to penetrate. Long before an aircraft reaches its target, ground-based radars can detect, track and coordinate surface-to-air missile batteries, forcing pilots to operate under constant threat. One way to reduce that risk is to locate those radar systems before the strike aircraft enters their engagement zone, but doing so has traditionally required dedicated electronic warfare aircraft or high-risk reconnaissance missions.
A recent flight demonstration showed a different approach. Dassault Aviation paired a Rafale F4 fighter with an unmanned aircraft carrying NAMIB, a compact electronic warfare payload developed with Harmattan AI. Rather than sending the fighter close to hostile air defenses, the drone moved ahead of the aircraft, detected enemy radar emissions, calculated the radar’s location and transmitted the coordinates back to the Rafale. Using that information, the fighter carried out a simulated strike against the radar site.
According to Interesting Engineering, instead of relying on cameras or optical sensors, it works by analyzing the electromagnetic signals continuously emitted by air defense radars. The payload detects these emissions, identifies the type of radar based on its electronic signature, and geolocates its position from several dozen kilometers away. This allows military operators to identify threats even when they cannot be seen visually.
The system has been designed as a lightweight payload that can be installed on different types of unmanned aircraft, from small quadcopters to larger fixed-wing drones capable of remaining airborne for extended periods. This flexibility allows forces to choose the most suitable platform depending on the mission, whether monitoring a localized area or surveying larger sections of contested airspace.
The demonstration also validated one of the fighter’s standard key capabilities: its ability to exchange tactical information with external platforms in real time. Rather than acting independently, the fighter and drone operated as a connected team, with the unmanned aircraft performing the dangerous reconnaissance task while the crewed aircraft remained farther from enemy defenses.
This type of crewed-uncrewed teaming is becoming a central element of next-generation air combat. Small, relatively inexpensive drones can extend the sensor range of fighter aircraft, gather intelligence inside contested areas and reduce the need to expose pilots to sophisticated air defense networks. Electronic warfare payloads such as this also provide an affordable way to expand battlefield awareness without relying solely on specialized electronic warfare aircraft.
Although the demonstration focused on radar detection, it illustrates a broader shift toward collaborative combat networks in which fighters, drones and other battlefield assets continuously share information to improve targeting, survivability and mission effectiveness. As air defense systems become more capable, distributed sensing and real-time data sharing are expected to play an increasingly important role in future military operations.
