Indra to enhance protection of Spanish Air Force C295 aircraft
Spanish Air Force C295s are to be fitted with the ALR-400 RWR. (Photo: Airbus Military)
Indra has won a contract to upgrade the radar warning and self-protection suite of the Spanish Air Force's C295 aircraft fleet to the ALR-400 system which will replace the legacy solution, enhancing their capabilities in conflict zones.
Under the deal Indra will fit the ALR-400 radar warning receiver (RWR) to the 35th Spanish Air and Space Force Wing's entire fleet of C295 (T.21) aircraft. The RWR is already used by the rest of the Spanish MoD’s transport aircraft and fighters, with the sole exception of the Eurofighter, which is equipped with the DASS Praetorian.
The ALR-400 is already being operated by more than 500 aircraft in 15 countries. In the case of the C295, Indra's system has become the international standard of reference and has been chosen by eight users of the platform.
Spain operates 13 of the aircraft and has 80 ALR-400s delivered with another 53 on order. The value of the contract has not been stated but the unit price is believed to be about $1,000,000.
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In addition to detecting threats, the ALR-400 is capable of providing guidance on the position of the transmitter and the type of aircraft or radar the signal is coming from, by comparing it with the library of intelligence it uses.
It can process complex waveforms, including doppler radars and threats that can use sophisticated frequency agility and low probability of interception techniques to go undetected.
The solution also includes capabilities to unmask weak signals that may be hidden behind stronger or nearby transmitters, and it can work in heavily saturated environments. If the aircraft is attacked with electromagnetic guided missiles, the system can detect them and activate the necessary countermeasures to neutralise them.
The company is working on the full-digital version of the ALR-400, which will be integrated into Spanish fleets of NH90 (HD.29), Tiger Mk III and CH-47F helicopters.
The ALR-400 has been acquired for the Airbus A400M Atlas strategic turboprop freighter, most notably for the 26 aircraft that the Spanish Air Force is procuring. The ALR-400 also forms part of Indra's SIMBA integrated self-protection system which includes a missile approach warner, laser warner and a countermeasures dispenser.
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