BAE Systems, Leonardo DRS To Develop Infrared-based Threat Warning System For US Army

BAE Systems and Leonardo DRS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to offer advanced threat detection capabilities for US Army fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

The two companies will collaborate to develop an advanced infrared-based threat warning system to meet current and evolving operational requirements for Army aircraft survivability, BAE Systems said in a statement Wednesday.

Paul Markwardt, vice president and general manager of Survivability, Targeting, and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems said, “Together, we can better protect our warfighters with technology that maximizes both flare declaration as well as directional infrared countermeasure cueing, and then advance that capability toward universal threat protection.”

This new collaboration will advance into new threat warning techniques and capabilities leveraged from BAE Systems’ Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) — the standard Army missile warning system currently on all the service’s fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft — and Leonardo DRS’ infrared sensors specifically designed for the rotary-wing environment.

Shawn Black, vice president and general manager of Electro Optical and Infrared Systems at Leonardo DRS said, “Our long-range missile launch detecting capability provides crews with increased warning time, greatly improving their ability to respond and survive — and that is our ultimate objective.”