BAE Systems said on September 15, 2026 that it has launched Shadow EW, a family of compact electronic warfare products for small airborne platforms. The announcement came out of Nashua, New Hampshire, where the company’s software and design work for the line is done.
The pitch, in BAE’s own words, is size and price. The company describes the products as small, lightweight and power-efficient, and says they are meant to give smaller aircraft situational awareness and self-defense when they fly into contested environments.
What BAE says is inside
According to the company, the line is built around open architecture standards. Its capabilities are software-defined and can be upgraded in the field. BAE listed a broad set of electronic warfare missions the products support: situational awareness, targeting, deception, survivability and delivering effects in collaboration with other systems.
The hardware relies on commercial microchips for high-performance computing. BAE said that choice helps its supply chain and lets it speed up production and delivery.
“The modern battlefield is changing at an unprecedented pace and all platforms, regardless of size, require adaptable electronic warfare capabilities to survive,” said Rebecca Cruz, who directs Shadow EW products at BAE Systems. She added that the solutions “provide flexible, configurable hardware paired with iterative software updates to counter rapidly evolving threats.”
Where it will be made
Production is planned at BAE facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Software and design stay in Nashua. The company says it can turn out Shadow EW systems in high quantities at a low cost, pointing to existing high-volume production capability and a skilled workforce.
BAE framed the launch as a change in how it develops and delivers electronic warfare equipment, with the agility and scale it believes the U.S. Department of War needs. It said the products are tuned for high-volume, affordable mass applications and quick integration onto a host platform.
All of this is the company’s own account. The announcement named no customer and gave no contract value, and it offered no test results or independent performance figures. A product page is posted on BAE Systems’ website for anyone who wants the specifications.
