COUNTERMEASURES - MBDA

AN EVER-GROWING THREATMBDA’s mastery of thelatest advances in modernair-combat technology isbeing brought to bear inthe protection of today’saircraftTHE COUNTERMEASURES SYSTEMStudies of aircraft losses in recent conflicts have shown that in more than half thecases, the pilots of the stricken aircraft were not even aware that they were underattack and that the majority of the losses involved the use of missiles.Just as MBDA is actively working on technologies to make its anti-aircraft missilesmore resistant to countermeasures, so are other weapons suppliers around theworld.The threat to pilots and their aircraft is therefore not only significant but growing.Aircraft self-protection is essential and needs to keep abreast of these latestdevelopments in missile technology. Who better then than a world-leadingmissile company, with its in-depth understanding of infra-red, electro-magneticand optronic seeker technologies, to develop solutions to counter these threats,solutions comprising missile detection/warning systems linked to dispenserscapable of launching the most suitable decoys.A full countermeasures system comprises a missile launch warning system to alertthe pilot to a potential threat to the aircraft and a series of dispensers capable ofreleasing the required combination of EM, IR or other decoys. Of equal importanceis the computerised management system and cockpit control unit that serve to coordinatethe operation of the countermeasures system as well as its integrationinto the aircraft.MBDA can draw from extensive experience gained from all types of combat aircraft(e.g. Mirage, Jaguar, Harrier, Tornado and Rafale) as well as larger aircraft (C160,C130, A400M) and helicopters (e.g. Cougar, Panther, Tiger, NH90) to supply customerswith a customised solution ranging from basic dispensers to a fully integratedsystem.2 3Extensive experiencegained from a wide range ofair platforms allows MBDAto offer highly optimisedcountermeasures solutions