An undisclosed African Ministry of Defence has ordered BIRD Aerosystems Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) for its Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopter fleet in what the Israeli company said is a significant contract.
The contract was announced on 15 January and will see delivery during the course of 2025.
“The AMPS family of solutions is engineered to detect, verify, and neutralize threats with unmatched precision. A key system of the AMPS family is BIRD’s Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System (SPREOS) DIRCM [Directional Infrared Countermeasures], which integrates multiple functions – threat detection, confirmation, tracking, and jamming – into a single, compact Line Replaceable Unit (LRU). With virtually zero false alarm rates and optimized jamming techniques, SPREOS ensures unparalleled protection for airborne platforms,” BIRD Aerosystems said.
“Our systems are installed on over 700 aerial platforms globally, delivering unmatched protection in the most dangerous conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Southern Sudan and other current conflicts. The AMPS technology, with its proven track record and cutting-edge capabilities, ensures the highest levels of operational security. This latest order reinforces BIRD’s leadership in advanced DIRCM and airborne self-protection systems,” said Ronen Factor, Co-Chief Executive Officer of BIRD Aerosystems.
In 2022, the company’s AMPS-MV airborne missile protection system was added to a customer’s Mi-17 helicopters operating on behalf of the United Nations in Africa. In late 2020 BIRD Aerosystems revealed that an unidentified African customer had ordered its SPREOS directional infrared countermeasures system for its VIP and military aircraft fleet. That year, the company announced it had delivered its Airborne Missile Protection Systems to a VIP customer in Africa to protect a presidential Boeing 737 aircraft. The AMPS system included an AeroShield POD and Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor.
BIRD Aerosystems says it specialises in airborne missile protection systems and Airborne Surveillance, Information and Observation (ASIO) solutions – eight years ago the Angolan Air Force began operating a Cessna Citation jet configured by BIRD for the maritime surveillance role. It was fitted with Leonardo’s SeaSpray active electronically scanned array (AESA) multimode surveillance radar and a Controp electro-optical (EO) sensor in a belly fairing. The aircraft also has an automatic identification system (AIS) receiver and satellite communications systems.
In May 2022 the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) took delivery of the first of two Cessna Citation CJ3 maritime surveillance aircraft as part of its Deep Blue maritime security project, after being fitted with BIRD’s Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence and Observation maritime solution as well as its Mission Management system (MSIS). The ASIO solution includes a search radar and electro-optical/infrared gimbal.
