BAE Systems wins contracts to provide CMWS equipment to US allies

BAE Systems has been awarded contracts by the US Army to supply aircraft survivability equipment to US-allied nations.

The contracts have a cumulative value of $71m and involve the sale of the equipment to the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and the UAE under the US Army foreign military sales programme.

BAE Systems will deliver the AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) and related equipment to the armed forces of the allies.

The CMWS will enable protection of aircraft and pilots from a range of threats.

The cost-effective and easy-to-install solution offers crews improved situational awareness and threat detection capabilities.

CMWS allows pilots to detect hostile fire threats and infrared-guided missiles. It warns crews about the threats and cues laser-based countermeasures to defeat them, improving the survivability of both the pilots and the aircraft.

BAE Systems Optical Electronic Warfare Systems director Cheryl Paradis said: “Our customers that fly low and slow in dangerous situations face unobserved threats that can strike without warning in seconds.

“We level the playing field for pilots and crews with proven threat detection and countermeasures that quickly and automatically engage and defeat threats and help warfighters return home safely.”

The customisable algorithms and line-replaceable units of CMWS enable it to adapt to emerging threats.

The system integrates missile warning, hostile fire indication and data recording capabilities into a single unit. The data recording feature allows for detailed post-mission analysis.

BAE Systems has so far supplied more than 3,000 CMWS units to customers.