MAIR missile warning system carried out first flight
Leonardo has carried out the first flight of its Multiple Aperture Infrared (MAIR) missile warning system.
When integrated onto an aircraft it provides crews with spherical missile warning, hostile fire indication, and day and night imaging and infrared search and track capabilities, and for its first test flight that took place in Italy, it was flown on a rotary testbed to assess its ability to collect data.
Further flights will now take place to verify MAIR’s full suite of modes, Leonardo says, adding that while the testbed was a rotorcraft, fixed-wing platforms can also carry the system.
MAIR uses a series of distributed IR sensors to provide spherical coverage of an aircraft, and was developed in response to a growing demand for systems that can respond to the threat of heat-seeking missiles.
In missile warning mode, MAIR is able to detect incoming missiles and differentiate them from other heat sources, delivering detection and early warning with a low false alarm rate, even in cluttered environments.
This is possible due to MAIR’s processing techniques that draw on Leonardo’s experience in providing IR search and track systems for the Saab Gripen E and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter programmes.
MAIR can also automatically cue protective measures including Leonardo’s Miysis directed IR countermeasure system in response to threats.
In this scenario, MAIR would detect, track, classify and declare if an incoming missile is a threat and then pass the information to Miysis, which would subsequently steer the missile away from the aircraft.
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Thales lands second major European order for SquadNet soldier radios]()
Thales lands second major European order for SquadNet soldier radios
Austria has followed Belgium in selected Thales' SquadNet tactical radios for its armed forces.
-
![EU Commission invites tenders for new satellite constellation with military applications]()
EU Commission invites tenders for new satellite constellation with military applications
The European Commission has launched an invitation tender for a contract to implement the EU satellite constellation dubbed IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite).
-
![Northrop Grumman to commence work on MESA sensors for US Air Force E-7 AEW fleet]()
Northrop Grumman to commence work on MESA sensors for US Air Force E-7 AEW fleet
The USAF will become the fifth operator of the E-7/MESA combination following Australia, Turkey, South Korea and the UK.
-
![Northrop Grumman details bid for US Navy TACAMO aircraft replacement]()
Northrop Grumman details bid for US Navy TACAMO aircraft replacement
The company believes its role as prime contractor on the E-2 Hawkeye puts it in a strong position for the programme to replace the USN's Boeing E-6 Mercury fleet.
-
![Northrop Grumman hones US Space Force satellite design in virtual environment]()
Northrop Grumman hones US Space Force satellite design in virtual environment
The company has applied its Highly Immersive Virtual Environment technology to the design process of polar overwatch satellites ordered by the US Space Force.
