QinetiQ will help Belgium establish a sovereign electronic warfare data center under a new five-year agreement with the UK.
The initiative, announced following a memorandum of understanding signed in late March, will create a Joint Electromagnetic Warfare Support Centre to collect, process, and exploit mission data for Belgian forces.
The effort aims to give Belgium control over mission data, critical intelligence that allows military systems to recognize threats, adapt to environments, and operate effectively.
This includes radar signatures, communications frequencies, and other information essential for modern, digitized battlefields.
QinetiQ will provide technical expertise, training, and operational support, drawing on its experience with the UK’s Project SOCIETAS, a long-running initiative to strengthen mission data production and electronic warfare capabilities.
The company already supports the UK’s Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Centre and contributes mission data for frontline platforms such as the Typhoon fighter.
Major General Pierre Ciparisse, Commander of the Belgian Cyber Force, said the cooperation “appeared entirely natural” given the growing need for specialized electromagnetic warfare experts.
“This initiative aims to provide Belgium with a reliable, long term and sovereign EW capability, reinforcing national resilience in an increasingly complex electromagnetic environment,” he added.
Europe Expands Electronic Warfare Capabilities
Across Europe, governments and defense firms are investing heavily in electronic warfare and mission data systems to counter evolving threats.
In 2025, Saab secured contracts worth 549 million euros ($633 million) to equip Germany’s Eurofighter aircraft with its Arexis electronic warfare suite, enhancing jamming and sensor capabilities for improved survivability and situational awareness.
A year earlier, in 2024, the EuroDASS consortium, which includes Leonardo and Hensoldt, unveiled next-generation upgrades to the Eurofighter’s defensive aids system, focusing on data-driven threat detection and electronic attack capabilities designed to remain effective beyond 2060.
Meanwhile, industrial investment has also expanded. In 2025, Saab opened a new UK facility to produce radar systems and underwater robotics, supporting both domestic and international defense programs while strengthening Europe’s industrial base in sensing and electronic warfare technologies.
