Page 34 - ADT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

The synchronisation of both heads ensures that
if the missile passes from one coverage area
into another coverage area, the DIRCM system
instantaneously hands it over from one DIRCM
head to the other DIRCM head. As the jamming
signal is handed over, if both heads can see the
threat, then both threats will jam together in a
synchronised fashion. Miysis’s tri-band laser [ ELECTRONIC WARFARE ]
energy offers an unmatched laser firing time;
the laser can deliver its energy continuously
until the threat is defeated.
GO IN A VERY SMALL AIRCRAFT AND BECAUSE IT’S
GOT ENOUGH LASER ENERGY, IT CAN GO IN THE Readily Deployable
Leonardo’s extensive experience with DIRCM
VERY LARGEST AIRCRAFT. SO YOU END UP WITH systems of which it has produced several
A SOLUTION WHICH CAN COVER ALL OF YOUR thousand units over the years have aided in
DIFFERENT PLATFORMS.” David Gourlay, Head of DIRCM developing an aircraft self-protection system
Campaigns at Leonardo that is highly effective and reliable. The devel-
opmental effort focussed on delivering a
system that had already catered for the top
The Twin – Head Miysis DIRCM System features two integrated
laser pointers and trackers, an electronics unit and a cockpit 20 DIRCM reliability issues and hence tack-
interface unit, weighing only 37.6 kg. An important difference on a led at the design stages to ensure that Miysis
twin-head DIRCM system as compared to a single-head system would be easy to install, integrate, operate and
is that if the latter is installed underneath an aircraft, then as soon maintain. Its small size ensured that integration
as the aircraft is down at lower altitudes or starts to manoeuvre, of the self-protection system on the aircraft
huge blank zones leaving it vulnerable to missile attack. Ideally a became that much easier due to reduced
missile warning system should provide all-round coverage some- requirements for metal cutting on the platform.
times these missiles can come in from above the aircraft because This also reduces integration time and the cost
of the way the operators fire them. associated with it. The selection of an open
architecture approach ensured that integration
with Missile Warning Systems was made easier
Miysis was designed as a twin head from the very start to deliver
360 degree protection not only in azimuth, but also in elevation, and less complex and is consistent with the
delivering spherical coverage. This takes into account the manoeu- growing trend in avionics to move away from
vring that aircraft would need to do while taking evasive action proprietary sealed black boxes and architec-
against missile threats. tures. “That's been shown by the fact that over
the years, we've integrated with six different
missile warning systems,” says Gourlay. The
system has been EASA certified with an OEM
fit also available.
High reliability in an operational environment is
a key aspect for any DIRCM and Miysis’s her-
metically sealed dome makes maintenance
servicing substantially easier. Miysis houses all
the DIRCM moving parts within its hermetically
sealed dome, thereby removing ingress routes
for dust and water. This eases regular ground
maintenance for which all that is required is the
dome to be cleaned with a cloth. The alignment
of DIRCM systems can also be problematic and
Miysis features a simplified alignment process,
which is intuitive and offers quick alignment to
make the process of DIRCM integration on a
platform, that much less complex. The provi-
sion of a ground maintenance mode, allows all
alignment and checkout activity for a DIRCM to
be done outside the hangar, rather than having
the aircraft to be towed to the far corners of
an airfield.

34 | February/March 2021 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT