BIRD Aerosystems to Supply More Airborne Missile Protection Systems for UN Helicopters

The company received a follow-on order to provide the UN Mi-17 fleet with additional AMPS-MV systems designed to detect and intercept surface-to-air missiles

BIRD Aerosystems to Supply More Airborne Missile Protection Systems for UN Helicopters

UN Mi-17 helicopters (By Meggar, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2060113)

BIRD Aerosystems, an Israeli developer of Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) and Special Mission Aircraft Solutions (ASIO), has received an order for additional AMPS systems from the UN Air Operations. Under the contract, BIRD will provide its AMPS-MV solution, which includes the MACS sensor, and install it on the UN Mi-17 Helicopters, that are operating in dangerous areas in Africa. The UN is already using BIRD’s AMPS systems, and this is a follow-on order that will allow the UN to install the systems on additional helicopters.

BIRD’s AMPS provides enhanced protection for military and civilian aircraft against the growing threat of surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS). The system is designed to automatically detect, verify, and foil SAM attacks through the effective use of countermeasure decoys (flares and chaffs) and by Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) that jam the missile’s IR seeker and protects the aircraft. The AMPS-MV includes BIRD Aerosystems’ patented Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS), which performs confirmation of suspected incoming missile threats detected by the main electro-optical passive sensors to eliminate false alarms.

“The UN Air Operations teams are operating in the most dangerous areas and conflict zones in Africa, and therefore have to make sure that their helicopters are safe and protected against the constantly growing threat of MANPADS,” said Ronen Factor, co-CEO and founder of Bird Aerosystems. “As caring for its soldiers is a primary goal for the UN, we are honored that once again, they choose to do so using BIRD’s AMPS-MV, the most advanced and cost-effective solution that is available today.”