With Royal Netherlands Air Force being a valued Terma customer for many years, it was a pleasant continuation of our collaboration to sign a new contract for missile warning integration and Flare-Up for the Dutch F-16s.
By upgrading their current Pylon Integrated Dispenser System, Universal (PIDSU) with MIL-STD-1760 capability to PIDS+ with Flare-Up, the Dutch Air force is killing two birds with one stone: The missile warning system will detect an incoming missile, and the Flare-Up dispenser system will allow the PIDS+ pylon to dispense flares to decoy the missile.
As The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) is part of the "F-16 European Participating Group", it was not unexpected that he RNLAF would choose the same missile warning system AAR-60(V)2 MILDS-F from Airbus DS solution as Denmark and Norway did a few years ago.
The Terma PIDSU originates from the time not too many years ago, when radar-guided missiles constituted the biggest threat to aircraft on combat missions. Therefore, the PIDSU dispensers only contain chaffs, while flare dispensers are mounted on the fuselage.
But today, heat-seeking missiles constitute a big threat, in particular small shoulder-fired missiles, which is why there is a need for a warning system for these types of missiles and for additional flares. Both systems are accommodated in the latest variant of the Terma F-16 pylon modifications: the PIDS+ with Flare-Up.
The Missile Warning installation comprises a total of six sensors and one processor. Three sensors are installed in both the left hand and right hand pylon so they provide almost full spherical coverage, and the processor is installed in the right hand pylon.
The AAR-60(V)2 provides the threat information to the Terma ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System in the cockpit. The ALQ-213 selects the most efficient dispense sequence which it executes from the Flare-Up installation – also in the PIDS+ pylon.
In the Flare-up solution, the dispensers are angled so that they are fired diagonally downward, in order not to hit the wingtip-mounted missile. Terma is currently delivering Flare-Up kits for U.S. Air National Guard F-16.
For Terma, the contract with RNLAF means that we have once again contributed with a constructive solution to one of our "old" customers. Furthermore, we now offer this solution to other F-16 customers as most have the same needs as The Netherlands.
In the best way possible, this process illustrates Terma’s special ability to collaborate and maintain dialog with customers for decades and jointly develop new solutions in concert with changing operational requirements.
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