Topic: Lasers could defend helicopters against missiles

[HavokFour]

Lasers could defend helicopters against missiles

A new laser technology aims to protect helicopters in combat operations from heat-seeking missiles.

The laser-based defense system, under development by the University of Michigan (UM) and Omni Sciences, Inc., a UM spin-off company, could essentially "blind" self-guiding ordinance as it nears its flying target.

"Our lasers give off a signal that's like throwing sand in the eyes of the missile," said Mohammed Islam, a professor in the department of electrical engineering and computer science at UM.

Read more...

[CDN Aviator]

So this is simply a different type of laser, applied to a technique that is already in use on some aircraft.

[Thucydides]

New laser countermeasure is now coming into service:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/missile-defense/the-quantum-cascade-laser-jammer-helicopter-defense

Helicopter Defense: The Quantum Cascade Laser Jammer

U.S. military helicopters need better defenses against heat-seeking missiles, and today in the PM office we got to see one new idea: The laser jammer by ITT that uses a trick of quantum mechanics to create a powerful laser that can target missiles approaching from any direction.
By Joe Pappalardo

How Safe is a Chinook Helicopter? Big helos, a vital part of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, can thwart high-tech threats. But cruder weapons, like the RPGs that destroyed a Chinook and killed more than a dozen Navy SEALs, can evade current defensive systems.  A new device, called Boldstroke, is the solution to a problem the Army does not want to have: the threat of advanced shoulder-fired missiles to American helicopters.  2012 Pentagon Budget Winners As the Pentagon scales back its funding ambitions—asking for $13 billion less in 2012 than they planned—some aviation programs are seeing influxes of cash. The list includes some of the most used, vital equipment in the U.S. inventory.

Popular Mechanics enjoys covering the cat-and-mouse game between anti-aircraft missile designers and those who develop countermeasures for aircraft. So when the folks at ITT offered to drop by the office to give us a sneak peek at a working model of their new Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system, we couldn't say no. The device is going to be shown in public for the first time at next week's Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition in Washington, D.C.

CIRCM uses a laser to scramble the seekers used by missiles that have infrared homing devices in their tips. The Navy and Army want these defenses for their helicopters, which are particularly vulnerable to heat-seeking missiles. The idea of using lasers to scramble IR-guided missiles has been around for a while, and most of the large defense firms have created systems to do so. But they've been waiting for the Pentagon to place an order to replace the current laser jammer, BAE's Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasure (ATIRCM). Now it has, and the competition is under way.

Last summer, we saw BAE Systems' next-gen solution, Boldstroke. It comes in a medium-size box topped with a clear hemisphere housing a mirror mounted on a 360-degree gimbal. The swivel provides better coverage than the 2-axis steering of the currently deployed ATIRCM.

Today, on the same table in the PM office, ITT's lead engineer for electro-optical systems, John Janis, showed off the company's version of an IR-missile jammer: ITT Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM). The visit gave us a real world example of how engineers approach the same problems in different ways.

[57Chevy]

Boldstroke, from BAE Systems.
Nice piece of kit.


http://www.eis.na.baesystems.com/boldstroke/index.htm

Proven Technology
As the systems integrator for the Army's currently fielded CMWS and ATIRCM suite, BAE Systems has unique knowledge of the platforms, combat CONOPS and mission needs, countermeasure techniques, and the multi spectral threat environment.

Since being fielded in 2004, the Common Missile Warning System has logged nearly 1.5 million combat flight hours on 26 different aircraft platforms. With more than 2,000 units in the field, CMWS reliability has far exceeded customer requirements, and is proving itself over the battlefield every day.

Since its deployment on CH-47 Chinook helicopters in late 2009, the ATIRCM system has proven to be the most reliable directable infrared countermeasure system yet fielded, and has already been credited with saving aircraft from missile attack. As of October 2010, ATIRCM has exceeded the Army's reliability threshold by 66 percent.

BAE Systems and the Army continue to make improvements to enhance the reliability of both systems, and to minimize total ownership costs.

Beyond the AN/AAR-57 and AN/ALQ-212(V) ATIRCM/ CMWS suite, BAE Systems participated in development and initial deployment of the AN/AAR-47, and is currently in partnership with Alliant Techsystems to develop the Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS). BAE Systems has more than 15,000 infrared and electronic countermeasures systems fielded worldwide on both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and is recognized as an industry leader in providing full life-cycle product support.

[Good2Golf]

...the packaging may be different, but laser-based active countermeasures is nothing new.


[article link]

Northrop Grumman's Directional Infrared Countermeasures System Exceeds One Million Operational Hours

PARIS – June 20, 2011 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced that its directional infrared countermeasures system (DIRCM), currently deployed with U.S. and allied forces, has achieved more than one million operational hours in service.

"DIRCM continues to be the standard for military aircraft protection, a system that is most called upon to assure mission success and the safe return of our troops, as indicated by the one million operational hours milestone," said Jeff Palombo, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division. "Northrop Grumman is not sitting back. We continue to invest in next-generation technology to keep us and our industry partners at the forefront of this capability.

"Of the more than one million hours accumulated to date, the majority have been logged under deployed and combat conditions, with an operational availability of over 99 percent for the past 13 consecutive years – performance unequaled in industry," Palombo added.

The combat-proven system functions automatically by detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat and activating a high-intensity laser-based countermeasures system to track and defeat the missile.

Northrop Grumman's IRCM systems are now installed or scheduled for installation on several hundred military aircraft across the Department of Defense to protect approximately 50 different types of large fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms from infrared missile attacks.

CIRCM / ATIRCM / DIRCM....they all use laser energy to draw IR/heat-seeking missiles from rotary and fixed-wing platforms.

Here's NorthropGrumman's  'Nemesis' AN/AAQ-42(V) DIRCM.