Presidential Boeing 737 flies with Bird ‘s missile protection system
Israeli-based Bird Aerosystems announced that it has equipped an African customer’s presidential Boeing 737 aircraft with its Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS).
In January last year, Bird Aerosystems announced that it has received a contract for its Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) and Airborne Surveillance, Information and Observation (ASIO) solutions.
Although Bird did not specify the country, however, it did state that the AMPS includes an AeroShield POD and Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS). The AeroShield POD which can be mounted on various types of aircraft includes a Missile Launch Detection Sensors (MILDS), Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS), Flare Dispensers and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). It can be easily transferred between different aircraft. The AeroShield pod can use both Bird’s SPREOS directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system and flares.
Ronen Factor, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Bird Aerosystems, stated that “We are thrilled to complete another successful delivery of Bird’s AMPS to a customer in Africa. This delivery, which was completed as planned despite the ongoing international coronavirus crisis, follows previous deliveries and installations of Bird’s AMPS and AeroShield POD on different military and civilian aircraft around the world. Small and lightweight, Bird’s AeroShield POD is ideal for wide-body aircrafts such as the B737, and provides optimum platform protection against MANPADS [man-portable air defence systems] with minimal interference to the aircraft. Integrating Bird’s MACS sensor, the system ensures zero false alarms”.
AMPS is already in operational use by several different customers in Africa, protecting of Head of State aircraft and helicopters, Bird Aerosystems said.
Bird Aerosystems Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS) receives data from passive electro-optical sensors to confirm a missile is approaching and slews to the direction of the incoming threat and verifies the threat’s validity. MACS also collects velocity and distance information on the missile and then calculates its time-to-impact.
In Africa, only half a dozen Air Forces currently fly the Boeing 737 in VIP configuration which are Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia.
Birds Aerosystems specialises in airborne missile protection systems and airborne surveillance, information and observation (ASIO) solutions has provided services to African militaries and forces stationed in the continent.
Nigeria’s Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is likely the recipient Of Bird Aerosystems’ advanced maritime patrol sensor and integrated Mission Management system (MSIS).
Few weeks ago, NIMASA released a video of its latest acquisition as part of its DEEP BLUE PROJECT. In the video, a Cessna Citation aircraft configured for the maritime surveillance and fitted with Bird Aerosystems’ Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence and Observation (ASIO) maritime solution as well as its Mission Management system (MSIS).
In August last year, Bird Aerosystems received a contract to provide missile protection systems for United Nations’ Mi-17 helicopters operating in Africa.
Its AMPS-MV solution would be installed on UN Mi-17s operating in dangerous and complicated areas. The UN is already using BIRD’s airborne missile protection system (AMPS), and this is a follow-on order that will allow the UN to install the systems on additional helicopters, the Bird Aerosystems said.
The system is designed to automatically detect, verify, and foil surface-to-air missile (SAM) attacks through the effective use of countermeasure decoys (flares and chaff) and by directional infrared countermeasures that jam the missile’s infrared seeker.
