BAE Systems, Leonardo garner approval for interoperable aircraft-survivability collab
NewsFebruary 15, 2023
NASHUA, NH. BAE Systems and Leonardo UK received the green light from the U.S. government to develop an interoperable aircraft-survivability tool suite -- consisting of the BAE Systems AN/AAR-57 common missile warning system (CMWS) and the Leonardo Miysis directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system -- that is aimed at vastly enhancing combat aircraft survivability against advanced threats.
According to the announcement from the companies, the BAE Systems-Leonardo combined solution will enable existing CMWS users to add a proven and exportable DIRCM capability in a cost-effective manner, with the aim of maximizing the effectiveness of CMWS flare decoying while enhancing aircraft survivability with a directed infrared countermeasure system.
The BAE Systems AN/AAR-57 CMWS -- described in BAE Systems literature as a system that detects incoming hostile fire and missile threats, alerts the crew, and automatically cues countermeasures -- is deployed across the U.S. Army and numerous partner nation rotary- and fixed-wing fleets, with more than 3,000 CMWS units installed on more than 40 different types of aircraft.
For its part, the Leonardo Miysis DIRCM system -- already in use by multiple international customers -- works by overwhelming a missile seeker head with a sudden and massive stream of coded laser energy that can defeat multiple simultaneous threats.
The AN/AAR-57 CMWS is produced at BAE Systems facilities in Nashua, N.H. and Huntsville, Alabama, while the Miysis system is made in Leonardo's U.K. facilities.
