HENSOLDT has announced that it is equipping helicopters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art detection and self-protection sensor technology. The order comprises 16 AMPS (Airborne Missile Protection System) sensor solutions.
The order value is in the double-digit million range. With the delivery, HENSOLDT is providing the Ukrainian armed forces with modern equipment required by current events. The Czech system integrator LOM PRAHA is planned as the equipping company.
AMPS is a system that protects aircraft from different types of missile threats. It is designed to be flexible, modular, and easy to install on helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. AMPS can detect, identify, and counter infrared, laser, or radar-guided missiles using various sensors and countermeasures. AMPS has been used by many customers worldwide and has proven its effectiveness in combat situations.
“With the delivery of AMPS, we are ensuring an increase in the defence capability of the Ukrainian helicopters,” says Tanya Altmann, Division Manager Optronics & Land Solutions and Managing Director of HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH. “By integrating onto this platform for the first time, we are protecting crews from a wide range of threats, especially surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles.”
Parts of the AMPS sensor solution are the Missile Launch Detection Sensor (MILDS), an Advanced Control and Display Unit (ACDU) and the Active Acknowledgement System (MACS), which determines the range and speed of detected missiles and eliminates false alarms. The existing Counter Measure Dispensing Systems (CMDS) on the helicopters can continue to operate with the current AMPS configuration.
A high percentage of aircraft losses in recent operational areas were caused by infrared surface-to-air missiles (IR SAMs). In addition, laser and radar threats are becoming more common in operational areas. To reliably detect these threats, AMPS can be configured with missile, laser and radar warning systems to provide the best possible protection through rapid detection. HENSOLDT already protects more than 2,000 different flying platforms with AMPS.
