Leonardo has conducted a test flight of its Multiple Aperture Infra-Red (MAIR) defensive aid system along the Italian coast.
The company operated the system on board a helicopter testbed that departed from La Spezia and flew along the Ligurian coastline near Genoa.
"During the test, the MAIR operated as expected and was able to record data throughout the flight," says Leonardo. "Further flights will now take place to verify the MAIR's full suite of modes."
The MAIR system comprises several IR sensors that cover the area around the aircraft. Capabilities include spherical missile warning, hostile fire indication, day and night imaging, and IR search and track.
"In its missile warning mode, MAIR is able to detect incoming missiles and differentiate them from other heat sources, delivering a high probability of detection and early warning with a low false alarm rate, even in heavily cluttered environments," says Leonardo.
The company launched the system at the Paris air show in June. It will be available for both rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
