JED News

F-16Is to Mark First Operational Use of IR-Based MAWS on Fighters
Elisra Electronic Systems (Bene Beraq, Israel) has announced that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) will equip its new F-16I aircraft with the Passive Airborne Warning System 2 (PAWS-2), marking the first operational fit of an infrared (IR)-based missile-approach-warning system (MAWS) on a fixed-wing fighter (as opposed to large-body aircraft, a number of which have received such systems).

The PAWS-2 is a variant of the original PAWS design, which provides IR-warning capabilities for helicopters and fixed-wing transport aircraft, and enables automatic operation of onboard countermeasures.

The F-16Is, of which Israel has ordered 50 from Lockheed Martin (Ft. Worth, TX), are also to be fitted with a yet-to-be-named internal jammer and the AN/APG-68(V)X radar. Some will also receive the Lockheed Martin (Orlando, FL) LANTIRN system (for more, see “Israel Selects F-16 Indigenous EW,” JED, August 1999). — B. Rivers

---

Saudis Express Interest in Additional F-15S Fighters
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has expressed interest in procuring 24 F-15S aircraft from the Boeing Co. (St. Louis, MO), an issue reportedly discussed by US Defense Secretary and Saudi Minister of Defense and Aviation Prince Sultan at meetings last month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These aircraft would replace 80 Saudi F-5 fighters and would be added to the 141 F-15s in the RSAF’s inventory.

Of the existing RSAF F-15s, most are C/D air- superiority configurations, while 50 are the multirole F-15S models designed specifically for the RSAF. The F-15S cockpit contains enhanced multipurpose displays, a wide-field-of-view head-up display and “up-front” controls. The aircraft’s LANTIRN system, which is standard aboard US Air Force (USAF) F-15Es, provides automatic terrain-following and forward-looking infrared navigation capabilities for low-level night flight. The F-15S also preserves the key subsystems of the USAF’s F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite — the AN/ALQ-135 internal jammer, the AN/ALR-56C radar warning receiver and the AN/ALE-45 countermeasures dispenser. In addition, the fighter carries the AN/APG-70 radar system, for which the Saudi company Advanced Electronics Co. (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) manufactured low-voltage power supplies, along with components of the AN/ALQ-135. — B. Rivers

---

Israeli Firm Unveils New Helicopter-Protection Suite
Israel Military Industries Ltd. (Ramat Hasharon, Israel) used the Asian Aerospace show, to introduce its AIRMOR integrated warning and protection systemthe company’s first foray into the integrated-protection area.

AIRMOR is offered as an add-on for helicopters and transport aircraft. The IMI-produced management- control unit receives inputs from warning subsystems, as well as from the aircraft’s own flight systems — including navigation and weapons systems, the radio altimeter and the airspeed indicator — integrates and analyzes the data to activate the optimal countermeasure solution. Although IMI claims that the system can operate with a variety of radar and laser warners, initial configurations appear to be based on an Elisra radar warning receiver and a DaimlerChrysler missile warner. IMI also offers to configure the system using existing sensors on a customer’s aircraft.

IMI’s dispensing system can be configured to use up to four different types of decoys for a payload of up to 480 decoys. An infrared (IR)-jammer turret controlled by the central processor provides supplementary protection against missiles not defeated by the IR expendables. — H. Gershanoff

---

RFP for Turkish C-130 Upgrade Expected This Month
Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Inustries is expected to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the upgrade of seven of the country’s C-130 transport aircraft under a program budgeted at approximately $25 million. An RFP was to have been issued in December 1999 but was postponed. While a local prime contractor has not been selected (yet), military program mangers have named Havelsan (Ankara, Turkey) and Aselsan (Ankara, Turkey) as subcontractors on the program.
— B. Rivers



Copyright JED