BAE Systems and Leonardo Join Forces to Pioneer Interactive Aircraft Survival Capability
BAE Systems, a global leader in electronic warfare, announced on Wednesday that it and Leonardo UK recently received U.S. government approval to develop an interoperable aircraft survivability suite consisting of BAE Systems’ AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) and Leonardo’s Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) System.
According to a press release from BAE Systems, this combined capability will significantly enhance aircraft survivability against advanced threats.
“This layered defense against new and advanced threats will protect aircraft and their crews in the most complex battlepaces,” said Chris Austin, director of Integrated Survivability Solutions at BAE Systems. “Using interoperable, combat-proven systems is a smart, efficient, and cost-effective aircraft survivability solution for our international customers.”
BAE Systems’ AN/AAR-57 CMWS detects incoming hostile fire and missile threats, alerts crews, and automatically countermeasures. It is deployed across the U.S. Army and numerous partner nations’ rotary and fixed-wing fleets, with over 3,000 CMWS units installed on over 40 different types of aircraft. CMWS has logged more than four million combat flight hours, saving hundreds of lives and dozens of aircraft in ever-changing threat environments.
The Miysis DIRCM system, developed and produced by Leonardo in Edinburgh, UK, and purchased by multiple international customers, provides exceptional protection against infrared-guided threats like MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems). It overwhelms a missile seeker’s head with a sudden and massive stream of coded laser energy that can defeat multiple simultaneous threats.
The BAE Systems-Leonardo solution will allow existing CMWS users to add a proven, readily available DIRCM capability in the most cost-effective way. It will maximize the effectiveness of CMWS countermeasures while enhancing aircraft survivability with a highly effective directed infrared countermeasure system.
Soldiers with Detachment 1, F Company, 1-171 General Support Aviation Battalion, conducted common missile warning system training in conjunction with maintenance air defenders at Yankie Range in McMullen County, Texas, on Nov. 1, 2011. The CMWS discharge flares after detecting incoming enemy fire as an automated response to protect the crew of the aircraft. This training exercise is the first integration of the two systems, which serve as the foundation for future aviation missions to further develop defensive measures against infrared-guided threats.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer this capability to operators around the world in collaboration with BAE Systems. The AN/AAR-57 CMWS is in service on these platforms worldwide, making it highly complementary to our readily available Miysis DIRCM,” said Tony Innes, VP Sales Radar and Advanced Targeting at Leonardo UK. “International customers who operate the AN/AAR-57 now have a fast, simple, and low-risk way to equip their platforms with good standard DIRCM protection against infrared-guided missiles.”
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