Protection system aircraft from modern weapons
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MiG-29 fighter throws heat target. The possibility of installation on new aircraft radio frequency traps

Relatively recent air operations during the Libyan crisis again highlighted the security systems and electronic warfare, also known as a subsystem of protective equipment or Dass (defensive aids sub system). With the threat posed by modern integrated air defense system, equipped with Russian S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, or Chinese, NATO has never before encountered in military operations.

Only electromagnetic signal incorrectly displayed during Libyan operations the presence of "double-digit" of the Russian air defense missile system, could temporarily suspend air operations. To cope with these threats Western Force have adopted the most advanced combination of technology survivability, such as a radio frequency silencers, low visibility, aiming at a target at a distance beyond the reach of weapons and precision-guided munitions. However, against modern radar-guided missiles, which, when finding the target can be switched to homing in on the source of interference, the solution are active outside of the trap.


Companies and government organizations in the field of electronic warfare recently showed the development of active, deployable RF traps, which marked a return to the concept, which was launched at the end of the Cold War, but at a new level. This so-called fiber-optic towed trap FOTD (fiber-optic towed decoy) to which the ALE-55 from BAE Systems and X-Guard from the Rafale, Ariel from Selex ES, Sky Buzzer from Cassidian and finally, ALE-70 from FTOD BAE Systems. But as we shall see, the best possible self-defense determined by a combination of systems, capable of dealing with radio frequency, infrared and laser threats.

In air operations over Libya have been checked possible set of electronic warfare (EW) Praetorian for a fighter Eurofighter Typhoon, produced by a consortium of four companies EuroDASS. This Selex ES, Elettronica, Indra and Cassidian, the first two of the company responsible for the kit. Praetorian incorporates a fully integrated suite of electronic intelligence / jamming Vserakursnoe coverage 360 ​​° with a highly sensitive receiver warning radar illumination with broadband superheterodyne receivers, coupled with an active pulse-Doppler device warning of missile attack, as well as subsystem jamming technology digital Memory treble Digital RF Memory (DRFM). The whole complex provides a complete set of coherent and incoherent electronic warfare with the broadcast signal from the aircraft and from external devices, the latter includes two active fiber optic towed trap FOTD from Selex ES. Set of electronic warfare Praetorian with your computer Defensive Aids Computer (DAC), the system drop means REP (CMDS) based machine chaff and false thermal purposes of Saab BOL system and laser warning Selex ES (aircraft only Great Britain and Saudi Arabia) subsystem forms a protective means DASS fighter Eurofighter Typhoon, which provides the pilot situational awareness and active means to combat radio-controlled threats.

Improvement of air assets electronic intelligence and electronic warfare (symbol Tranche 3) focused on improving the radiating power of jamming due to modification of the antennas, but at the same time a consortium EuroDASS offers new opportunities for export campaigns, including the addition of a digital receiver, expanded coverage in the low frequency range and the addition of interferometric receiver functions geolocation. In the field of killing EuroDASS consortium focused on narrow-band jamming, more powerful antenna, new methods of REB, while missile defense system should be improved by the installation of a new passive receiver warning missile detection in addition to those active devices that are already on board.


Consortium EuroDASS, including Selex ES and Elettronica, responsible for the integration kit, jointly with Indra and Cassidian offers a modern set of EW for aircraft


Image with a new warning system for missile attack DDM-NG from MBDA, is part of the EW, which is installed on board the newest fighter Rafale French Air Force and Fleet Air Arm

However, the newest component of the protection of on-board facilities, which will replace the system Captor, a new radar with active array antenna with electronic scanning, gradually gets passive, active RFID capabilities.

Another platform has been used successfully in the Libyan crisis was a combat aircraft Dassault Rafale. In September 2013, the French defense procurement agency has taken delivery of the first of the fourth installment of the Rafale, which is now equipped with a radar with an active phased array antenna Thales RBE 2 and an improved version of the kit EW Spectra, developed by Thales Airborne Systems and MBDA France. It includes a passive device missile warning of a new generation of MBDA DDM NG with much improved field of view, detection range, and low frequency of false positives compared to the previous one. System Rafale Spectra - a comprehensive and fully integrated suite, which guarantees even in the most difficult conditions with a variety of threats, electromagnetic detection, laser warning, missile attack warning using passive infrared detection technology from the company MBDA, jamming multiple threats by managed beam and chaff and false thermal purposes as from MBDA.


Eurofighter Typhoon - one of the few combat aircraft to be equipped with the very beginning of the development of fiber-optic towed traps. The aircraft is also a candidate for the installation of radio frequency discharges traps BriteCloud


As part of an integrated set of avionics options for the F-35 System AN / ASQ-239 Barracuda from BAE Systems has its origin from the set AN / ALR-94 EW F-22 fighter Raptor. It provides measures to ensure highly sensitive electronic warfare and electronic surveillance in addition to Full spectrum situational awareness and multi-ways to combat missiles


Selex ES finalizing discharged trap DRFM (Digital Radio Frequency Memory), which hit the market in mid-2014. Brite Cloud will help equip the old and new aircraft with the latest technology the cost is much lower compared to the towed rf trap

A few months earlier (February 2013), it was announced the reduction of risks for version F-3R Rafale, which will be completed in 2018. As part of these works will be installed hanging container detect a target Thales PDL-NG missile and "air-to-air» MBDA Meteor long-range, as well as carried out to improve the system Spectra. This part of a phased program of modernization, the last stage in which R & D is also known as the Incas (INtegration de nouvelles CApacites a Spectra), aims to improve the detection and jamming and install the latest version of transmission modules not only in radar RBE2, but also in the scope of Spectra. In addition to shared computing resources radar with active array antenna can be used in the long term as part of the self-defense capabilities.

The rapid spread of "double" of the Russian and Chinese active and semi-active missiles "ground-to-air" and the radio-controlled missiles "air-air" pushed EW specialists to develop a new generation of radio-frequency discharges means of struggle.

The company Selex ES developed stand-alone the discharged trap technology Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM - digital memory treble) for jet aircraft and gave it the name BriteCloud; it will be available on the market since mid-2014. It will provide external (Outboard) rapid response that will deceive RF homing missiles and radar fire control at the expense of long range misses and target lock failure due to the autonomous development of coherent frequencies and powerful batteries, which allow, at least, the trap "live" ten seconds after activation.

BriteCloud scattered in the initial format of a standard 55-mm squib; the company Selex ES argue that the system is installed, at least on three platforms (Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and Panavia Tornado). It will help to equip the various existing and new platforms with the latest technology of radio frequency jamming at a significantly lower cost compared to towed traps with low or zero level of integration, with the cost of the new system will be very competitive in comparison with the cost of technology TRD. According to the company Selex, automatic drop BriteCloud, at least twice as efficient as the previous generation off-board products, such as simple active traps based on a repeater, which are able to deal only with the sources of continuous radiation. System length of 200 - 375 mm suitable for installation on a variety of platforms, the mass corresponding to the standard heat trap mass 0.7 - 0.85 kg, the shelf life of about five years.

As part of the aforementioned phased approach to improve the Incas kit Rafale French defense procurement agency began a research program on thrown rf trap, which was first introduced at the Paris Air Show in 2013. New radiofrequency trap developed by MBDA, was designated LEA (leurre electromagnetique actif). "The air vehicle" is currently being tested, and the company Thales, is expected to take part in this project, although it is not presented for official confirmation.

In order to cope with future requirements to the REB and overcome the problem of obsolescence of the fleet command of the aircraft systems recently issued Lockheed Martin's contract provides for "rebuild and qualification of replacement components for a single EW Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter».

System AN / ASQ-239 Barracuda from the company BAE Systems is a modified version of the kit EW AN / ALR-94 to F-22 Raptor and provides avionics software and the possibility of high-precision electronic surveillance, situational awareness and multispectral missile facilities. According to some sources, Barracuda offers precise geo-location and positioning of the potential enemy emitters, without the need for triangulation and thus the participation of the other aircraft. Barracuda system is also integrated with the data channels of communications, navigation and information gathering Communications, Navigation and Intelligence (CNI) from Northrop Grumman to distribute real-time data, as well as radar APG-81 AESA, which conducts a radio and jamming and has ability to conduct cyberwar.

It is reported that the program update process is only associated with hardware modules, and will not affect the system to counter and antennas. Improvements that should be made, belong to the so-called initial aircraft Party 7, on the basis of the underlying software, and capabilities of the aircraft in the embodiment Block 3. It is expected that work on all aircraft USAF and foreign customers will be completed by March 2018.

However, the president's budget request for 2014 provides more information about the scope of the F-35 EW, especially resettable remedies for airplanes with inconspicuous signs. In the specification of the request by the United States Navy resettable remedies are grouped together "all the unique countermeasures for a single fighter, especially the ALE-70, MJU-68, MJU-69 and the CCU-168." While contracts for specially modified heat traps MJU-68/69 and squibs CCU-168 for the F-35 have already been granted the company BAE Systems, the Ministry of Defence for the first time informed of the existence of dumped counteractions ALE-70. Based on this system, the collected data, ALE-70 is a radio frequency trap towed. In the latter case, a trap FOTD should work from the onboard generator F-35, which would imply the use of the radio frequency of the muffler.


Diagram showing all the installed sensors on board the F-35 Lightning II. According to the budget documents of the United States, on the F-35 will be installed RF towed trap


Based on its experience and know-how in systems Dircm for airplanes and helicopters, the company Northrop Grumman has recently introduced a low-profile Dircm for jet aircraft, the first of its application to become a fighter F-35

Recently, the company Northrop Grumman announced the development of the system of directional counter IR guidance systems dircm (directional infrared countermeasures system) for jet aircraft, the first application of which is expected to be the F-35. According to Northrop Grumman, is about to be released for a similar equipment. Based on the experience gained with the previous systems, including the program of the American army in combating IR guidance systems Common infrared Countermeasures (circm), company Northrop Grumman in September 2012 presented a prototype system Threat Nullification Defensive Resource (ThNDR), the testing of which were completed by the end of of 2013. Although still not been released any requirements, the company is working to stay ahead with the aim of preparation for the inevitable request for a software update F-35 Block 5, scheduled for the beginning of the 2020s. ThNDR different unobtrusive compact unit with reduced dimensions, which is all the pointing device and the tracking and laser; Based on these data, the control unit should have a smaller, more powerful laser requires liquid cooling. In order to F-35 can be installed two heads for damping the spherical covering, ThNDR be connected to the distributed aperture radar AN / AAQ-37 by the same company, which has six infrared sensors Vserakursnoe cover 360 ° around the aircraft, providing Missile Warning and precise orientation, which will support the work of heads jamming system aimed to counter the infrared guidance systems. In addition, according to the company Northrop Grumman, except missiles "ground-to-air» ThNDR must deal with the threats "air-air" IR-guided, that provides for the delivery of internal and external (container) version for other platforms, such as F- 22, F-15 and F-16.

Under the agreement, signed in February 2013 between the Swedish defense procurement and management company Saab, the latter developed a variant of Gripen E, which will be upgraded to 60 aircraft Gripen C. The newest model, which is expected to buy Switzerland, will have a set of modern electronic warfare, who conceived must deal with the threats of the 2020s, providing an effective detection, identification and suppression of known and future threats, while facilitating fusion of sensors in order to increase awareness of pilots.

Aircraft Gripen E will have an integrated suite of electronic warfare, radar receiver including exposure / electronic intelligence with a wide frequency range finders and interferometric broadband digital receivers, jamming subsystem based on broadband coverage and transmitters with an active antenna array. System drop means REP CMDS will be based on the machines dropped: 4 (plus 2 optional) pyrotechnic Bop and 4 (plus 2 optional) electromechanical Bol. In accordance with the schedule of the program development will continue until 2019, the first deliveries will begin in late 2017. The initial term of receipt of the troops is scheduled in the second half of 2018, while the full availability of the aircraft will be reached by mid-2023.

Company ELISRA and drones

Reduced size and power made the company Elisra, included in Elbit Systems group, start rebuild their most advanced multispectral systems DAS and ESM in a single quick block. Elisra has advanced the concept of "all in one" and the adaptation to a particular platform, thereby simplifying and reducing its footprint for installation and maintenance costs. Spectrolite SPS-65V-5 is comprised of four subsystems, including wideband digital receivers SPS-20, which define the pulse radar and continuous wave radar from low frequencies 64 MHz to 18 GHz narrowband digital receiver NBDR-25 for detecting radar radiation with continuous high pulse repetition rate and the lowest effective radiated power, a system of laser warning LWS-20, and a controller which controls the system components with appropriate countermeasures. It is worth noting that one of the special configurations mentioned above includes a configuration designed specifically for the drones, as a rule, it's a drone Hermes 900. believed that the system would be the "first" of its kind.


Eurofighter Typhoon has a set of ESM / ECM, including the system of internal electronic jamming and towed fiber-optic trap