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Saab Team Demonstrates Missile Protection System for Civil Aircraft

Saab Avitronics, along with Chemring Countermeasures and Naturelink Aviation, have demonstrated a civilian aircraft self-protection system intended to counter MANPADS (man portable air defense system) missile threats.

The totally modular system, which is being developed as part of Saab's Civil Aircraft Missile
Protection System (CAMPS) program, is designed to be an integral part of the aircraft. It consists of a MAW (missile approach warning system), a 300 UV (ultra violet) light-based missile approach warning system, a central electronic unit, and an electromechanical dispenser system, designed to mete out a new non-pyrotechnical IR (infrared) decoy developed by Chemring Countermeasures. (Non-pyrotechnical decoys are important in civil applications to eliminate the threat of ancillary ground fires.)

The demonstration took place at Overberg Testing Range (OTB) in Bredasdorp near Cape Town South Africa, using an Embraer 120 test aircraft provided by Naturelink Aviation. During the tests military dispensing equipment was also used as a reference for CAMPS.

Saab says that based on the success of these trials, the system can potentially be operational on Naturelink platforms by the middle of 2008. 03-24-2007.