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Low Cost Infrared
Countermeasures (IRCM)
Aircraft Protection Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems
Elka E. Koehler, Ph.D.
October 6th, 2005
1
The Threat
• Military Inventories estimate
– 350K – 500K missiles
• Non-State Actors
– 25-30 groups (IRA, FARC, Hezbollah, PKK)
– 5-150K missiles
• Reported IR missiles
– Stinger (USA)
– SA-7, SA-14/16/18 (Russia)
– HN-5/QW-1 (China)
• Reports of Missiles in Circulation
– “5,592 missiles captured in
Afghanistan as of December 2002”
– “4-5K available to Iraqi insurgents”
Source: Bart Elias, Congressional Research
Service, 2 Dec 03
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Proliferation is Massive
The Need
The Warfighter Needs
Protection …
Current jammers can’t do the job:
– costly, heavy & bulky
AH-1W Super
Cobra Fires on
Iraqi positions in
S. Iraq
UH-60 Blackhawk
over Iraq
US Black Hawk Helicopter crashes near
Tikrit in Iraq, six marines dead (Nov ’03)
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Protect The Warfighter From MANPADS & Air-to-Air Missiles
The Need
Commercial Airlines Need
Protection……..
•
Manpads will unavoidably become more attractive to terrorists
– 2002 attempt to bring down Israeli airliner at Mambosa, Kenya
•
Deploying antimissile defenses on planes is too expensive now
- Equipping 6,800 commercial jets would cost $11B
- Annual operating costs would be $2.1B
•
Total federal spending on all transportation security is ~$4.4B
Source: RAND Report, Jan 05
A Reliable Low-Cost Aircraft Protection System is Needed Now
4
Programs Overview
Scorpion
Quiet Eyes
Low Cost Aircraft Protection System
Low Cost DIRCM Micro-Turret
Navy: Rapid Technology Transition
Program
Pointer
Laser
OSD & Air Force: Defense Acquisition
Challenge Program
Controller
Pointer
Controller
Laser
MW Sensor
“The Incumbents can’t get on the
small helos”
“Cost, weight, reliability are big
issues for existing systems”
• Very low cost, low weight, small size
• Leverages production systems to achieve high reliability
• Meets full coverage & performance requirements
5
The Shout for Affordable Aircraft Self-Protection is Loud & Clear
How It Works
1• Missile launch is detected
by missile warning sensors
2• Pointer is directed onto, and
tracks, the missile
1
2
Missile Warning
Coverage
3
4
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3• A low power infrared laser
jams the missile seeker
4• Laser jamming causes the
missile to miss
Laser-based Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM)
AIM-9X Pointer
Sidewinder
AIM-9X
• Already in production
• Very low cost
• Proven reliability
• Small size & weight
AIM-9X Pointer
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Pointer Based on Production AIM-9X Missile
Pointer Optical Components
Pointer
Dome
Pod
Lenses
Laser
• Telescope: Dome, lenses, mirrors, prisms
– Collects infrared light emitted by incoming missile
• Detector: An array of semiconductor material sensitive to infrared light
– Converts incident light into electronic signals
• Laser: High intensity light source
– Confuses incoming missile’s detector
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Optics are Critical Components of Aircraft Protection Sytems
Summary of the Aircraft Protection System
Pointer
Thermal Radiation
from Missile
Missile
Laser Beam from Pointer
Pointer Telescope
• Incoming missile heats up and emits infrared light (Thermal radiation)
• Telescope detects and tracks thermal radiation of incoming missile
Pointer Laser
• Laser wavelength must match incoming missile’s operational wavelength
• Multi-band laser necessary to protect from various threats:
•Stinger, SA-7, SA-14/16/18, HN-5/QW-1
• Laser is modulated to jam the incoming missile
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Missile Warning Sensors & Laser
Missile Warning Sensors
Multi-band IR Laser
• Design accommodates a variety of
missile warning sensors (UV, IR)
• Design works with a variety of mid
IR laser technologies
• Raytheon produces robust 1-color
sensors currently flying on F16Is
• Raytheon working with Aculight on
both Navy (Scorpion) & Air Force
Defense Acquisition Challenge
program (Quiet Eyes)
• Navy Scorpion program upgrades
production 1-color sensors to
2-color.
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• All lasers are multi-band IR
Missile Warning Sensors and Multi-band Laser also Mature
Summary
• Optics are critical components of IRCM aircraft protections systems
– Pointer telescope detects and tracks threats
– Laser jams and confuses incoming missiles
• Significant benefits compared with existing systems
– Very Low Cost
– Highly reliable
– Small package
• Multiple services pursuing capability
– Navy: Protection for small helicopters
– Air Force: Affordable pointer
• Leverages proven systems to provide near term capability
– AIM-9X pointer & Processor
– Production missile warning sensors
• Programs showing tremendous progress
– Initial pointer demonstrations complete
– System prototype demonstration scheduled for late 2006
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Affordable, Reliable Aircraft Self-Protection