GRAHAMWARWICK / WASHINGTONDC & ARIEEGOZI / TELAVIV
Companies answer Washington's challenge to develop systems that enable commercial airlines to stave off attacks
Raytheon has teamed with Israel's Elta Systems to bid for the US Department of Homeland Security's programme to develop and demonstrate missile countermeasures systems for commercial aircraft.
Another Israeli company, El-Op, has joined forces with US avionics firm Kollsman to offer a fibre laser infrared countermeasures system for the two-year, $100 million programme.
The Raytheon/Elta SafeFlight system will combine the Israeli company's pulse-Doppler radar missile-approach warning system with the US firm's Comet infrared countermeasures dispensing system. The missile warning sensor is used in the flare-based FlightGuard countermeasures system produced by Israel Aircraft Industries subsidiary Elta and already selected by the Israeli Ministry of Transportation to equip the country's airliners. FlightGuard uses safe flares developed by Israel Military Industries.
Raytheon says SafeFlight will release "invisible, environmentally safe material into the atmosphere to defeat infrared missile threats during take-off and landing".
The foil-like special materials countermeasures, which oxidise on contact with air and emit minimal visible energy, have been demonstrated on USAir Force transport aircraft. The US company says the system is fully automatic, easy to install and cheaper than competing laser-based directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) systems.
El-Op says its multi-spectral infrared countermeasures (Music) system overcomes the installation issues associated with a podded DIRCM by using a laser generator mounted in the aircraft's cargo bay, connected by optical fibre to a small turret that also houses the missile warning sensor.
DIRCM solutions offered by Northrop Grumman and Israeli firm Rafael entail installing a canoe fairing housing sensors and laser turret under the aft fuselage of the aircraft. According to El-Op, Music will detect, acquire, track and jam incoming missiles automatically.
The DHS has released a request for proposals for a two-phase programme to qualify a system capable of countering the shoulder-launched missile threat to airliners.
Two or three contracts will be awarded for the preliminary design of competing approaches. After the six-month first phase, one system will be selected for the 18-month second phase culminating in a prototype demonstration.
Flight International's first Countermeasures Conference takes place on 28 January in Washington DC. Contact sallie.edwards@rbi.co.uk for detailsSource: Flight International
