AeroShield POD Provides Comprehensive Protection

BIRD Aerosystems’ Anti-Missile Protection System (AMPS) has been delivered to an African customer to protect that nation’s presidential Boeing 737, the Israeli company announced on 24 June.

The system delivered incorporates both the AeroShield POD and the Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS). AeroShield POD is an all-in-one integrated solution supporting the installation of AMPS on VIP wide-body aircraft. Integrating the AMPS system, which includes Missile Launch Detection Sensors (MILDS), MACS, flare dispensers and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), AeroShield POD is easily installed, provides optimum platform protection with minimal interference to the aircraft and can be easily transferred between different airframes.

The AeroShield POD delivered under the current contract includes MACS, which uniquely confirms suspected incoming missile threats detected by the main electro-optical (EO) passive sensors and practically eliminates false alarms. On receipt of a warning from the EO sensors, MACS slews to the direction of the incoming threat and verifies its validity. Concurrently, it also collects relevant information on the target (velocity and distance) and calculates time-to-impact, enabling the most effective countermeasure to the incoming missile. MACS ensures that only real missiles will be declared by the system and reacted to.

Ronen Factor, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder of BIRD Aerosystems, states “This delivery, which was completed as planned despite the ongoing international Coronavirus crisis, follows previous deliveries and installations of BIRD’s AMPS and AeroShield POD on different military and civilian aircraft around the world. Small and lightweight, BIRD’s AeroShield POD is ideal for wide-body aircraft such as the B737, and provides optimum platform protection against MANPADS with minimal interference to the aircraft.”