Airbus Defence and Space will upgrade the German Armed Forces’ identification systems to NATO’s new “Mode 5” IFF (identification-friend-or-foe) standard which will improve the distinction of friendly and hostile forces and thus help to avoid friendly fire. To this end, the German procurement authority awarded Airbus Defence and Space a two-digit million Euro follow-on contract to upgrade the existing IFF interrogator and transponder equipment.  

The contract covers the adaptation to Mode 5 standard of the existing STR 2000 transponders onboard all flying platforms of the German Armed Forces. Furthermore, the adaptation applies to the MSSR (Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar) 2000 I interrogators in all land-based platforms. Following a first contract awarded in 2013, the next phase of the modernization program covered by the current contract is scheduled to last until 2016.