US Army Chinook helicopters fitted with BAE’s advanced threat infrared countermeasures (ATIRCM) system have been credited with defeating infrared-guided missiles just six months after the devices were fitted.
The ATIRCM system is a laser-based, directable countermeasures system that protects helicopters from potential missile attacks.
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BAE Systems survivability and protection solutions vice-president Jim Crouch said that the ATIRCM was put to the test in a complex situation where Chinook aircraft were engaged by multiple infrared, man-portable air-defence missiles.
“ATIRCM has provided the warfighter confidence in the aircraft’s survivability while performing the mission in hostile locations,” he said.
The countermeasures system uses BAE’s AN/AAR-57 common missile warning system (CMWS) to provide passive warning of an incoming missile.
CMWS detects the missile, rejects any false alarms, and cues the ATIRCM jam head to the missile’s location.
Upon locating the missile with its IR tracking system, ATIRCM emits a high-energy beam to defeat the missile’s infrared seeker.
The AN/ALQ-212(V) ATIRCM/CMWS suite has significantly enhanced the overall aircraft survivability against current and evolving threats.
