After many years of successful operation, the JET saddle coil system will be dismantled during the 2004-2005 shutdown. A new antenna system has been designed and is being constructed to replace it and excite magneto-hydrodynamics modes in the Alfvén frequency range (10500kHz), keeping similar operational capabilities (IANT~30A, VANT~1kV, maximum power ~5kW). In addition to the constraints imposed by halo current and disruption-induced voltages and currents, the design must comply with the requirements of a remote handling installation. The physics basis, design principles and constraints will be presented along with the results of the coupling and engineering analysis, and a discussion of the possible extrapolation of such a system to ITER.