Leonardo has been contracted by Boeing to provide its new software-defined radio, the SWave Airborne SDR SRT-800' for NATO's fleet of E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. One of the few military assets that are owned and operated directly by NATO, the AWACS fleet is being modernized by Boeing to maintain its operational viability through 2035 under the Final Lifetime Extension Program (FLEP). 

Leonardo's SRT-800 will provide the AWACS fleet with secure and cyber-resilient air-to-air and air-to-ground connectivity. This security is becoming increasingly critical to all kinds of military operations as cyber-attacks continue to be a clear and present threat. Available for civil and military customers, the small size, low-weight, and power requirements of the SRT-800 allow it to be fitted to most fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, manned or unmanned. Ideal for retrofit, a single SRT-800 radio replaces several avionic units that have traditionally been separate units, including UHF/VHF radio, SATCOM, SINCGARS, and a crypto device.