$44.8M to Protect C-130s from Terrorists

LAIRCM

The Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH has issued a pair of contracts to Northrop Grumman worth $44.8 million, in order to improve C-130H Hercules protection against infrared threats like shoulder-fired missiles. These missiles have been used in attacks on allied aircraft in Iraq. The Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system includes detectors and crew warning systems, and automatically uses a modulated laser beam to jam incoming threats without crew intervention. The contracted work will be complete June 2006.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Rolling Meadows, IL received a $16.8 million contract modification (F33657-01-C-2093/P00085) to provide associated LAIRCM hardware and system support including spares, support equipment, technical data, training, interim contractor support and over and above repairs during aircraft modification and installation. In addition, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Electronic Systems’ Defensive Systems Division in Rolling Meadows, IL received a $28 million undefinitized contract modification (F33657-01-C-2093/P00072) to provide for FY 2005 modification of 12 C-130H aircraft to accept the LAIRCM system. The contractor also will provide aircraft hardware, spares, technical data, training, support and over and above aircraft repairs during installation. See also Military Aerospace Technology: Protecting the Big Birds.

$23M Modification for NextGen Missile Warning Sub-systems

AC-130 Spectre:
Warning Received

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Rolling Meadows, IL received a $23.7 million undefinitized contract modification to develop and test countermeasures that could protect airliners, transport aircraft, and other airplanes from anti-aircraft missiles. The Next Generation (NexGen) Missile Warning Subsystem will be integrated into the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system and installation on the C-130H3 Hercules aircraft, and live fire testing and flight-testing of NexGen Systems is included in this contract. There will also be two options associated with this contract: [1] to integrate and test the NexGen Contractor Systems with the LAIRCM lamp; and [2] a production AC-130U Spectre aircraft design for both NexGen LAIRCM configured Contractor Systems. Solicitation began in February 2005, negotiations were completed the same month, and work will be complete by January 2007. The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (F33657-01-C-2093, P00067).

El Al Deploying Anti-Missile Defense on Civilian Plane

El Al is now installing an anti-missile system onto one of its Boeing jets. If it works, the system will be rolled out to six other aircraft, and eventually the entire fleet. The Flight Guard system, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Elta Systems costs about $1 million per plane. The system is designed for very low false alarm rates, and relative ease of installation on various kinds of aircraft.

Israel’s small size, and the range of missiles that could be launched from hostile Palestinian territories, led to a premium on effectiveness during takeoff and landing. Flight Guard includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft. Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The flares for the civilian version were redesigned to be both larger and invisible to human eyes in order to prevent panic in cabins if passengers see the outgoing flares. IMI is trying to get FAA permits to allow the product to be used with American carriers as well.

The technology has been used on Israel military planes for a long time. The addition to civilian aircraft comes after a November 2002 incident in which missiles were fired unsuccessfully at an Arkia plane in Mombasa, Kenya…

El Al is now installing an anti-missile system onto one of its Boeing jets. If it works, the system will be rolled out to six other aircraft, and eventually the entire fleet. The Flight Guard system, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Elta Systems costs about $1 million per plane. The system is designed for very low false alarm rates, and relative ease of installation on various kinds of aircraft.

Israel’s small size, and the range of missiles that could be launched from hostile Palestinian territories, led to a premium on effectiveness during takeoff and landing. Flight Guard includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft. Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The flares for the civilian version were redesigned to be both larger and invisible to human eyes in order to prevent panic in cabins if passengers see the outgoing flares. IMI is trying to get FAA permits to allow the product to be used with American carriers as well.

The technology has been used on Israel military planes for a long time. The addition to civilian aircraft comes after a November 2002 incident in which missiles were fired unsuccessfully at an Arkia plane in Mombasa, Kenya…

El Al is now installing an anti-missile system onto one of its Boeing jets. If it works, the system will be rolled out to six other aircraft, and eventually the entire fleet. The Flight Guard system, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Elta Systems costs about $1 million per plane. The system is designed for very low false alarm rates, and relative ease of installation on various kinds of aircraft.

Israel’s small size, and the range of missiles that could be launched from hostile Palestinian territories, led to a premium on effectiveness during takeoff and landing. Flight Guard includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft. Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The flares for the civilian version were redesigned to be both larger and invisible to human eyes in order to prevent panic in cabins if passengers see the outgoing flares. IMI is trying to get FAA permits to allow the product to be used with American carriers as well.

The technology has been used on Israel military planes for a long time. The addition to civilian aircraft comes after a November 2002 incident in which missiles were fired unsuccessfully at an Arkia plane in Mombasa, Kenya…

El Al is now installing an anti-missile system onto one of its Boeing jets. If it works, the system will be rolled out to six other aircraft, and eventually the entire fleet. The Flight Guard system, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Elta Systems costs about $1 million per plane. The system is designed for very low false alarm rates, and relative ease of installation on various kinds of aircraft.

Israel’s small size, and the range of missiles that could be launched from hostile Palestinian territories, led to a premium on effectiveness during takeoff and landing. Flight Guard includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft. Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The flares for the civilian version were redesigned to be both larger and invisible to human eyes in order to prevent panic in cabins if passengers see the outgoing flares. IMI is trying to get FAA permits to allow the product to be used with American carriers as well.

The technology has been used on Israel military planes for a long time. The addition to civilian aircraft comes after a November 2002 incident in which missiles were fired unsuccessfully at an Arkia plane in Mombasa, Kenya…

El Al is now installing an anti-missile system onto one of its Boeing jets. If it works, the system will be rolled out to six other aircraft, and eventually the entire fleet. The Flight Guard system, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Elta Systems costs about $1 million per plane. The system is designed for very low false alarm rates, and relative ease of installation on various kinds of aircraft.

Israel’s small size, and the range of missiles that could be launched from hostile Palestinian territories, led to a premium on effectiveness during takeoff and landing. Flight Guard includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft. Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The flares for the civilian version were redesigned to be both larger and invisible to human eyes in order to prevent panic in cabins if passengers see the outgoing flares. IMI is trying to get FAA permits to allow the product to be used with American carriers as well.

The technology has been used on Israel military planes for a long time. The addition to civilian aircraft comes after a November 2002 incident in which missiles were fired unsuccessfully at an Arkia plane in Mombasa, Kenya…

El Al is now installing an anti-missile system onto one of its Boeing jets. If it works, the system will be rolled out to six other aircraft, and eventually the entire fleet. The Flight Guard system, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Elta Systems costs about $1 million per plane. The system is designed for very low false alarm rates, and relative ease of installation on various kinds of aircraft.

Israel’s small size, and the range of missiles that could be launched from hostile Palestinian territories, led to a premium on effectiveness during takeoff and landing. Flight Guard includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft. Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The flares for the civilian version were redesigned to be both larger and invisible to human eyes in order to prevent panic in cabins if passengers see the outgoing flares. IMI is trying to get FAA permits to allow the product to be used with American carriers as well.

The technology has been used on Israel military planes for a long time. The addition to civilian aircraft comes after a November 2002 incident in which missiles were fired unsuccessfully at an Arkia plane in Mombasa, Kenya…