Aircraft

Countermeasures - jamming technology for slower aircraft

Rafael is offering its Jam-Air directional infra-red countermeasures anti-missile system for use on small, slow aircraft.

The Jam-Air was originally developed to protect helicopters but according to lova Drori, Rafael's vice-president of marketing, the system can be installed on small aircraft that fly relatively slowly.

The Israeli airforce has begun equipping its helicopters with the Jam-Air.The system is replacing the AN/ALQ-144, an omni-directional active infra-red countermeasures system, which according to the the IAF is no longer sufficient for current threats.

The Jam-Air is housed in a gimballed turret and based on an arc lamp technology that produces a wide beam that jams the IR seeker of the missile by disengaging the sensor's lock on the heat source.

Rafael says the 30kg Jam-Air can be installed on any part of the helicopter and that its wide beam more efficient than a directed very narrow laser beam.