BAE Systems and Leonardo DRS Join Forces to Pursue Advanced Threat Detection Opportunities for U.S. Army Aircraft

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To provide military aircrews with enhanced protection from new and emerging threats, BAE Systems and Leonardo DRS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to offer advanced threat detection capabilities for U.S. Army fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The two companies will collaborate to develop an advanced infrared-based threat warning system to meet current and evolving operational requirements for Army aircraft survivability. 

“By merging Leonardo DRS’ extensive infrared sensors expertise with our proven threat warning capabilities, we’re able to offer survivability solutions not available today,” said Paul Markwardt, vice president and general manager of Survivability, Targeting, and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “Together, we can better protect our warfighters with technology that maximizes both flare declaration as well as directional infrared countermeasure cueing, and then advance that capability toward universal threat protection.” 

This new collaboration will advance into new directions the threat warning techniques and capabilities leveraged from BAE Systems’ Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) — the standard Army missile warning system currently on all the service’s fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft — and Leonardo DRS’ mature, high-performing infrared sensors specifically designed for the rotary-wing environment. 

“We offer an extremely advanced and accurate sensor that can take BAE Systems’ threat detection systems to the next level,” said Shawn Black, vice president and general manager of Electro Optical and Infrared Systems at Leonardo DRS. “Our long-range missile launch detecting capability provides crews with increased warning time, greatly improving their ability to respond and survive — and that is our ultimate objective.” 

By integrating the Leonardo DRS sensor into its product offering, BAE Systems will build upon a 40-year heritage of providing the most advanced threat detection and warning systems to the U.S. military and allied forces to produce a next-generation solution.