EC - European Defence Fund logo

Self-protection systems for fixed and rotary wing aircraft
Deadline: Dec 1, 2020  
CALL EXPIRED

 Disadvantaged People
 Environment
 Aerospace Technology
 Electronics and Microelectronics
 Aeronautics Industries
 Transport
 Defence & Cybersecurity

Specific Challenge:

Innovative self-protection systems are crucial to efficiently tackle a wide range of threats and increase the platform survivability in a hostile environment.

One key challenge is to develop a European self-protection system compact enough to be integrated even on a helicopter and capable to counter current and future more agile threats.

The other is to maintain the affordability of the self-protection system while its complexity increases.

 

To increase the survivability of the platform, the new-generation of self-protection system must be able to detect threats, improve response time and increase the efficiency of the countermeasure.

 

A new compact European self-protection system should also set the example forward and use, develop and improve standards for subsystem integration.

 

Overall system management

Delivering efficient sensing and effective reaction capability in the complex, contested and congested battlespace of the future will require a very integrated approach inside a platform and between platforms equipped with a new-generation of self-protection system. At the core of this integration is the electronic warfare (EW) manager that is providing coordinated management and control of the self-protection system’s subsystems.

Scope:

The proposals must address the development of a complete, advanced and versatile self-protection system for fixed (transport mission) and rotary (combat and transport missions) wing aircrafts self-protection system.

The proposed solution must include the following subsystems:

  • Missile Warning System (MWS);
  • Radar Warning Receiver (RWR);
  • Counter Measure Dispenser System (CMDS);
  • Expendable Active Decoy (EAD);
  • Directed InfraRed Counter Measure (DIRCM);
  • EW manager;
  • Laser warning receiver;
  • Other counter measures.

Hard-kill solutions can also be considered.

Targeted activities

The proposals must cover study and design, not excluding downstream activities, of the proposed solution.

The targeted activities must in particular include:

  • feasibility study including definition of the concept of operations (CONOPS), system specification, Detailed Requirements Review (DRR) and architecture definition;
  • detailed design of the system, including the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and potentially the Critical Design Review (CDR).

The proposals may also include the development of technological demonstrators, with the involvement of platform integrators, in order to support decision making during the design phase.

A detailed planning of the subsequent development phases must be generated, including the identification of implementation priorities, according to operational needs of the Union and its Member States.

Main high-level requirements

The system should fulfil the following requirements:

General

  • The system should provide the following main functions:
    • situation awareness;
    • threat detection and warning alert;
    • threat classification and identification;
    • counter-measures actions with and without a man in the loop.

Common requirements

  • The system should have a modular design to allow an easy integration of future sensors and effectors according to specific national needs and threat evolution;
  • The system should be easy to integrate into the legacy and future platforms.

MWS subsystem

  • The MWS should cover missile warning and hostile fire indicator;
  • The MWS may combine various technologies, including electro-optic detection;
  • The proposed MWS may incorporate additional capability;
  • The MWS should offer different modes of operation.

RWR subsystem

  • The RWR should have a high probability of interception;
  • The RWR should be a fully digital receiver;
  • The RWR should have a high accuracy and dynamic range of measurements;
  • The RWR should have processing for classification/identification;
  • The RWR should be modular for specific national programing;
  • The RWR should be low cost.

CMDS subsystem

  • The CMDS should be modular for specific national programming.

EAD subsystem

  • The EAD should be self-powered;
  • The EAD should be self-programmed at the ejection;
  • The EAD should have self-detection and processing channels;
  • The EAD should be effective against modern threats guided through electromagnetic spectrum;
  • The EAD should be modular for specific national programming.

DIRCM subsystem

  • The DIRCM should cover a high range of signatures;
  • The DIRCM should be compatible with the MWS above;
  • The DIRCM should be compatible with all threats;
  • The DIRCM should have a low drag turret;
  • The DIRCM should be easy to install and maintain;
  • The DIRCM should be based on European technology;
  • The DIRCM should allow multiband operation;
  • The DIRCM should be low cost compared to current systems.

Hard-kill solutions

  • Proposed solutions should be compatible with a wide range of platforms;
  • Proposed solutions should have large space coverage;
  • Proposed solutions should take into account security aspects and compatibility with the Rules of Engagement (RoE);
  • Proposed solutions should be low cost.

EW manager subsystem

  • The EW manager should be an advanced smart subsystem able to autonomously coordinate sensors and effectors from one or several platforms and effectively support the crew in the decision making process in operational conditions;
  • The EW manager should manage, control and operate sensors and countermeasures in various mission states and modes, including combined actions;
  • The EW manager should provide the “situation awareness”;
  • The EW manager should generate warnings in presence of predefined dangerous threats;
  • The EW manager should support Man-Machine Interface (MMI) by providing data to be presented on the on-board display;
  • The EW manager should provide data to be sent to external platforms or bases (through tactical data link);
  • The EW manager should monitor EW suite status (BITE (Buit-in test equipment) function);
  • The EW manager should manage EW data and signal recording for post analysis.

Expected Impact:

With reference to currently available self-protection systems:

  • Increased coverage in term of threats’ types;
  • Ability to tackle new-generation threats;
  • Ensure European autonomy in the survivability domain;

Versatility to cover a wide range of platforms and save costs in integration/installation and specific development through modular design.



Public link:   Only for registered users


Up2Europe Ads