Protection of civil aircraft

Portal avia.pro already addressed the topic of security systems of aircraft from missiles ("Russian arms against the West» 30.11.2015). The complex "President-S" is one of the unique developments in this area. How to respond to the threat of MANPADS in other countries?

The vulnerability of civilian aircraft

Everyone, even people far from aviation, understands well that the most critical and dangerous parts of an aircraft flight are takeoff and landing. In addition to the purely technical features of the "take-off" and "landing" mode, the aircraft is even more vulnerable to attacks from the ground by MANPADS.

This fact is especially important for "hot spots", which become more and more. It is primarily concerned with the Middle East and Africa, where the decay, then re-ignite again all sorts of local military conflicts. It is also true for some Latin American countries, where the real war on the drug cartels are conducted.

At the time of take-off and landing of any passenger aircraft, the most effective weapon is a portable air defense missile system of MANPADS. The main TTX of MANPADS such as "Igla", "Strela", Stinger, Javelin, which are available in almost any belligerent country, allow to "take off" the airplane just in the moments of take-off and landing. Anyone with a portable complex can hit the aircraft, being at a distance from 3 to 5 km from the runway. The missile fired by the aircraft operates up to 3500-4500 meters of height. So it's not only when takeoff and landing, the plane falls under attack. A low-flying helicopter or plane is also a potential target.

Israel's decision

Of course, the danger of missiles from the ground, can not disturb those countries and companies that carry out flights in conflict countries. And if combat helicopters and transport planes, which are engaged in the transportation of troops and equipment have long been equipped with electronic countermeasures complexes Crap, the civil courts for such it is still a novelty.

The exception is, perhaps, only Israel.

In 2002 year, the plane of the Israeli airline made the flight, taking off from the airport of Mombasa (Kenya), and was attacked by a rocket fired from the ground MANPADS ("Strela-2»). It was then that the idea to create a system to counter missiles.

Simplistically principle of the system is that the bottom of the fuselage has two thermal cameras and laser generator. Thermal cameras fix the fact of starting one (or several) missiles. The laser sends a beam generator, a power density in excess of the thermal radiation of the engine of the aircraft, to the point of a missile. Thus, there is a powerful false mark, which triggered infrared homing missiles. Further, a rocket works, or moving away from the target and self-destructs on embedded in her program.

But, the Israelis did not stop at such protection. For obvious reasons, information about the latest developments is not advertised, but it is known that in this direction, successful tests are underway of defense systems against a more serious enemy, high-altitude surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. These systems are already capable of protecting the airliner at altitudes up to 10 meters, which is the main "working" height of passenger aircraft.

Israel intends to equip all of its airliners with El-Op's new C-Music (Commercial-Multi Spectral Infrared Countermeasure) defense system. According to the creators of the system, this is the first commercially available system designed for installation on civilian helicopters and aircraft to protect them from MANPADS.

We must pay tribute to the experienced Israelis at war with terrorists for decades, control of passengers departing from the country begins 5 km to the airport. Not to mention the security services, and about the agents in civilian clothes "scanning" experienced eye of a psychologist, the crowd in the terminals themselves.

New developments

American program of such a system to protect aircraft stalled. The reason for this high cost and inefficiency of civil aircraft equipment systems of active protection DIRCM.

And the Russian media reported that in addition to the complex "President-S", is designed as a system "Maple-M." Saratov designer developed vserakursny complex laser jammers. To protect against missile "surface-to-air" and "air-to-air" with an infrared seeker.

The principle of operation of the plant is similar to that described above. Only the characteristics of much higher foreign counterparts. Zone control of the space around the plane so complex - 360 degrees. A azimuth from -45 to + 30 degrees. Weight sttantsii about 300 kg. Chance suppression missile seeker - 0,8-0,9, that is almost close to unity.

The main disadvantage of foreign systems of protection is that they oppose the missile with infrared seeker, that is suggestive of heat from the engines track. But they are powerless against missiles suggestive of ground radar beam or board (airplane) station. And since most modern air defense systems developed in Russia, our designers have provided and our system to counter the missiles.

Against his

Increasingly, in the hands of insurgents and terrorists of all kinds is the newest, technological equipment and service. And by the developers to come up with a means against their "creations". This concerns not only foreign, but also Russian. More than 80% of MANPADS in the world, accounts for complexes "Igla", "Strela" and Stinger. And now we also have to reinvent themselves and implement the system of protection against their MANPADS. Such is the irony of the global arms market.

Is not it easier just more tightly control the market, rather than spend the extra millions of rubles and dollars on defense against their inventions. Who knew that the weapons handed out generously "friendly countries Middle East and Africa by our governments still some 20-30 years ago, will turn against us themselves? But, nevertheless, it is. And now we have to deal with it.

Valery Smirnov specifically for avia.pro