Technology can protect military aircraft

BAE Systems, a British multinational defense, security, and aerospace company, recently revealed its Smart D2 system, next-generation threat management technology that can defend military aircraft and dispense countermeasures.

The system protects aircraft and aircrews from existing and emerging threats by deploys smart, expendable countermeasures such as kinetic interceptors, active radio-frequency decoys, and multi-shot flares.

It monitors the quantity, location, age, and carriage life of the expendables and can deploy a tailored mix of smart countermeasures to defeat specific threats. The NATO-standard Smart Stores Communication Interface is used to provide two-way communication between the dispenser and aircraft.

The technology is designed to work with fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

“The Smart D2 system combines smart inventory management with a database of proven countermeasure combinations,” Paul Markwardt, BAE Systems vice president and general manager of Survivability, Targeting, and Sensing Solutions, said. “The updated communications and inventory control in our Smart D2 system and its ability to work with current and future smart countermeasures provides aircrews with a more capable survivability solution that improves their ability to complete missions.”

Traditional threat warning and countermeasure systems use flares or chaff. These systems also lack a customizable response, inventory management, and real-time communications capabilities.