The Spanish defense ministry has awarded defense technology company Indra a 35 million euro contract to deliver electronic defense systems for the Spanish Army’s Chinook CH47F military transport helicopters.
The Spanish Army is equipping its Chinooks with new EW suites that will protect the aircraft on international missions over the coming years.
According to Indra, the solution will incorporate the company’s ALR-400FD radar alerter, which is fully digitalized with fiber optic interconnections and is ready to detect and identify at long range the presence of enemy platforms and other radar threats.
Its ability to monitor the entire radar spectrum, instead of covering different bands through partial band scanning strategies as was normal in previous generations, provides increased detection of threats, such as those with large frequency hopping techniques.
The solution also incorporates the new InWarner sensor, equipped with a missile alerter and a laser alerter, which detects whether any designator has acquired the helicopter as a target. The integration of both elements makes it possible to achieve full situational awareness and increases the effectiveness in activating countermeasures to neutralize the attack.
Additionally, the InShield infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system will protect the aircraft against MANPAD-type short-range surface-to-air missile and infrared guided missile attacks during low-altitude flights and takeoffs and landings.
This advanced solution directs a beam of laser energy onto the missile’s thermal guidance system to deflect it, so it can neutralize multiple attacks. The helicopter will additionally be equipped with chaff countermeasure dispensers and flares to neutralize these attacks.
Indra noted that this self-protection suite will be exportable to other CH-47 aircraft as well as to all types of fixed and rotary wing platforms.
