Protection of platforms

AVePS

The AVePS (Active Vehicle Protection System) has been specifically designed for the protection of vehicles against shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons and guided missiles. Approaching projectiles are detected and tracked by a comprehensive 360° sensor system (search-and-track radar plus IR camera) and engaged using blast/fragmentation or blast grenades before they reach the vehicle. The grenade is fired from a light-weight launcher, which can be aligned extremely rapidly in azimuth and elevation in the direction of the approaching threat and ignited so that the projectile is neutralized at a safe distance from the vehicle.AVePS can engage several approaching projectiles at very short intervals. The research and technology demonstration program financed by BWB is still in progress. An important milestone was achieved in spring 2006: a live-firing test, in which the system operated fully autonomously, was carried out successfully, thus demonstrating impressively the development maturity of AVePS.

DIRCM

DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter Measures) is a protection system for military and civil aircraft against approaching guided missiles with IR seekers. It operates in conjunction with a missile approach warning receiver and consists of the following components: IR passive tracker, laser fine tracker and destructive laser which blinds or destroys the approaching missile's seeker using high-energy pulses. The entire operation takes place within only a very short time and at a safe distance from the object to be protected. With two to three DIRCM systems, the complete airspace around an aircraft can be protected. After successful completion of the demonstrator program and the risk-minimization studies in 2006, development of the operational system in cooperation with EADS will be started in 2009. From 2014, the first DIRCM systems are planned to be installed in the A400M aircraft.