Israel’s Bird Aerosystems announced on 1 May 2023 that it has successfully completed the deliveries of additional Airborne Missile Protection Solutions (AMPS) for the Czech Air Force’s fleet of Mil Mi-17 helicopters.
Bird noted in a press release that the systems provided included the Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS), which is a semi-active confirmation radar that reduces the false alarm rate of an aircraft’s overall missile warning system, and the Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System (SPREOS), which is a directional infra-red countermeasures (DIRCM) system.
Bird announced a missile warning technology contract for Czech Mi-17 helicopters in March 2021: a contract that added to a previous deal announced in September 2020 for the upgrading of AMPS already provided to the Czech Air Force and to prepare Czech Mi-17s for the future installation of MACS.
“This programme is part of a follow-up program with the Czech Air Force that has been protecting its helicopters with the AMPS system for the last 15 years and has [seen them deployed] in the most complex environments, such as Afghanistan,” Bird stated in a 1 May press release.
Bird’s AMPS provides enhanced protection for military and civilian aircraft against the threat from manportable air defence systems (MANPADS). The system is designed to automatically detect, verify, and foil surface-to-air missile attacks through the effective use of countermeasure decoys (flares and chaff) and a DIRCM system that jams the missile’s infra-red seeker to protect the aircraft.
“Completing another successful programme of our AMPS systems on Czech aircraft, we are honoured to be their partner of choice for Airborne Missile Protection Solutions, and to provide them with the best means to protect their aircrews,” Ronen Factor, Co-CEO and Founder at Bird Aerosystems, was quoted as saying in a company press release.
Peter Felstead
