Boeing has selected Leonardo and Thales to deliver a UK sovereign Defensive Aids System (DAS) for the UK’s new fleet of five 737-based Boeing E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning aircraft.
Boeing say that their selection builds on last year’s announcement that Thales’ Elix-IR Threat Warner and Leonardo’s Defensive Aids System controller and Miysis Directed Infra-Red Counter Measure (DIRCM) had been selected to equip the RAF’s fleet of Shadow Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance aircraft.
“Air platforms are fundamental in the support of war fighting, peace-keeping, peace-enforcement, and humanitarian operations worldwide. These varied missions often present hostile and threatening conditions to the safety of the crew and passengers. In all operations, air platforms remain high value assets that present a prime target for conventional and unconventional adversaries alike.
Elix-IR is an advanced multi-function passive Threat Warning System (TWS), offering the core functionalities of a simultaneous Missile Approach Warner (MAW) and Hostile Fire Indication (HFI) solution to counter existing and future missile threats. It is suitable for use on a wide range of rotary and fixed wing platforms such as helicopters, transport aircraft, UAVs, and VIP aircraft.”
For the RAF’s Boeing Wedgetail, Thales UK, under a subcontract from Leonardo, is providing the Elix-IR Threat Warning System and Vicon XF intelligent Countermeasures Dispensing System into Leonardo’s Modular Advanced Platform Protection System (MAPPS).
The integrated Defensive Aids System is fully designed, developed, manufactured, and supported in the UK, say the firm.
I thought we had standardised on the Northrop Grumman LAIRCM system for these large aircraft?
No LAIRCM is in need of an upgrade and, for this, it was decided to go for UK DAS instead as it gives freedom of action without relying on the US for upgrades. The Miysis-ELIR-IR-MAPPS Controller combination is utterly world beating.