Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Combat Electronic Environment Simulator (CEESIM) has been selected to provide next-generation radio frequency (RF) testing for the fifth-generation fighter Enhanced Weapons Lab. This advanced system will deliver critical capabilities for developing and proving the electronic warfare (EW) systems essential to modern air dominance.
CEESIM creates exceptionally realistic, dense, and complex RF threat environments in a controlled laboratory setting. This allows engineers to rigorously test and validate the electronic warfare receivers and mission sensor systems of fifth-generation fighters against sophisticated, evolving threats long before live-flight trials. By simulating true combat conditions, the system ensures these vital survivability systems are prepared for the most challenging operational scenarios.
A key advantage of CEESIM is its role in accelerating capability and ensuring affordability. It provides the most dynamic and interactive method for testing prime mission systems, enabling rapid iteration and improvement at a fraction of the cost of open-air range testing. Its modular architecture, available in both standard and compact configurations, offers flexibility to meet a wide range of laboratory and deployment needs for both U.S. and international partners.
Northrop Grumman has been a foundational partner in fifth-generation fighter development since the program’s inception, supporting Lockheed Martin and fleet test needs globally. The company’s decades of unmatched depth in RF threat modeling are embedded in CEESIM, with a product roadmap designed to pace emerging adversarial technologies.
“Spectrum superiority begins in the lab with CEESIM,” said James Conroy, vice president of targeting and survivability at Northrop Grumman. “Through our high-fidelity modeling of advanced radio frequency threats, we are enabling the rapid development and enhancement of survivability for fifth-generation platforms, ensuring they remain ready for tomorrow’s battles.”
This selection reinforces CEESIM’s position as a cornerstone technology for electronic warfare development. By driving rapid improvement in laboratory settings, it ensures that warfighters can deploy with confidence, knowing their aircraft’s defensive systems have been tested against the toughest simulated threats imaginable.
