Thales to provide ASTOR ECM techniques generator

Thales Sensors has won an order worth some £6 million for its Shrike ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) Techniques Generator (TG) that will be the countermeasures' 'brain' of the aircraft's Defensive Aids Systems (DAS) protecting the Royal Air Force's ASTOR (Airborne STand Off Radar) aircraft.

As part of BAe Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems' advanced DAS, the Shrike system will be able to counter all existing and projected future threats facing the aircraft through interfacing with the towed radar decoy.

On-board electronic warfare systems intercept and analyse radar pulses from a number of different threat sources, such as other aircraft, ships or missiles.Radar emissions from threat platforms have a unique signature, which allows the pulse from a radar contact to be identified permitting appropriate action to be taken.The creation by the TG of a 'perfect pulse' or 'shadow' confuses the threat missile causing it to be seduced away from the aircraft towards the decoy.

Thales' Shrike TG was developed to protect a variety of military aircraft in flight and follows a contract placed by BAe Systems for the DAS TG on-board the Nimrod MRA4 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

David Sheppard, managing director of Thales sensors, said: "We have developed and produced a state-of-the-art system that offers tremendous future business opportunities for Thales in maritime patrol aircraft, air-to-air refuelling tankers and other high value aircraft such as the E-3 AWACS.Further development of the TG will open up vast prospects for the fighter, fighter ground attack and bomber self-protection markets."

REF XQQEE XQQAR