DRDO and EADS develop advanced missile warning system for aircraft - ready for serial production

29 May 2008

Berlin:  India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) an umbrella body that encompasses the country's defence research laboratories has said that its laboratory, the Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), along with European defence consortium, EADS, has successfully developed an advanced missile warning system.

Speaking at the ongoing Berlin ILA 2008 air show, EADS officials said the system will enter serial production soon. Officials indicated that they were also looking at India as a manufacturing hub from where the technology could be exported to other interested countries.

According to EADS, the system has successfully passed extensive flight trials, paving the way for its induction on board several hundred rotary and fixed wing aircraft of the Indian armed forces.

The missile warning system, based on Missile Launch Detection System (MILDS), was tested on board an Indian Air Force test platform (aircraft) and was found to perform perfectly on all counts -- detection probability, accuracy, false alarm and reliability, according to chief executive officer of EADS' defence and security division, Stefan Zoller.

"Due to this success, the missile warning system has been accepted as indigenous equipment by the Indian authorities," he said.

"After initial cooperation of Defence Electronics and (Bangalore-based) Alpha Technologies which has already been started, the transition of series production at the Alpha manufacturing base is foreseen in near future," the EADS said while making the announcement.
 
MILDS
According to EADS product information list, MILDS is a passive, true imaging sensor device for helicopters and wide-body aircraft. It is optimised to detect the radiation signature that is emitted from an approaching hostile missile exhaust plume.