'Revolution in Electronic Warfare': Israel Rolls Out System That Uses Targeted Beams of Energy

The Scorpius system is touted as a sophisticated piece of weaponry that can effectively detect and then disrupt enemy targets without "sending out missiles".

Israel has unveiled a state-of-the-art electronic warfare system that is capable of tackling ground, naval, and aerial targets with the help of electromagnetic beams.

Scorpius was developed by the Israeli manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which touted the new system's capabilities as "a revolution in electronic warfare".

Referring to the system's name, IAI's Marketing VP Gideon Fustick told the magazine Forbes that it intends to convey "the sense of an innocuous thing that actually has a very powerful sting".

"We call it 'soft protection'. It's an offensive weapon that doesn't send out missiles. It's not a hard-kill system. And yet it is very effective in engaging and disabling enemy systems", Fustick stated.

He explained that Scorpius combines the use of a broad beam that scans for potential threats in all directions, and narrow beams to target such threats.

Unveiling the Scorpius Electronic Warfare System

Israel Aerospace Industries IAI has unveiled the Scorpius family of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems--first EW system in the world capable of simultaneously targeting multiple threats, across frequencies & in different directions. pic.twitter.com/ZFoqv9qlYx

— Vayu Aerospace Review (@ReviewVayu) November 12, 2021

According to the IAI Marketing VP, the new system has an edge over current EW systems because Scorpius is capable of sending targeted beams without interfering with unintended targets.

This gives the system's operator "wide effect with minimum collateral interference", Fustick stressed, praising the new weapon as "the future of electronic warfare".

"It's the first system that can really detect anything in the sky and address multiple targets in different directions and different frequencies simultaneously", he added.

The Scorpius system can launch an offensive beam to "blind" an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a missile, or a fighter jet without confusing enemy aircraft with friendly ones in the same airspace.

There was no immediate word on when the new system will enter service with the Israel Defence Forces, with media reports saying that Scorpius had made "its operational debut" during the Israeli Air Force's "Blue Flag" drills in October.