BAE Systems’ Transponder, Missile Warning System For USAF Rescue Choppers

The US Air Force has selected BAE Systems to provide critical survivability and situational awareness technology for the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter.

The company will supply its Identification Friend or Foe technology known as the AN/DPX-7 Reduced Size Transponder (RST) and its Common Missile Warning System (CMWS). These contracts mark the first time that a US Air Force platform will benefit from the RST system and from CMWS, a highly automated and tightly integrated infrared countermeasures suite.

“When airmen enter into dangerous situations to rescue wounded soldiers, they require the best technology available to safeguard them during these vital missions and provide them with situational awareness,” said John Watkins, vice president of Business Development at BAE Systems. “By equipping the Combat Rescue Helicopter with RST and CMWS, the Air Force can be confident that its airmen will be using technology that has been proven in theater on multiple U.S. Army and Navy platforms.”

At half the size and weight of others that are fielded, BAE Systems’ transponder is ideal for aircraft such as the Combat Rescue Helicopter, where space must be maximized and weight limited to increase the aircraft’s performance. The transponder is currently on several manned and unmanned aircraft, including the MQ-4C Triton. It also supports combat identification and sense-and-avoid applications with its Mode 5 and ADS-B In/Out capabilities.

The Air Force will deploy the CMWS Gen3 system that includes both hostile fire indication and data recording capabilities to detect and evade small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.  The system also performs detailed post-mission analysis. CMWS missile warning technology has served more than 24 U.S. Army platform types and has amassed more than 2 million in-theater hours.

These awards to BAE Systems follow the Air Force’s 2014 decision to select the team of Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters with a derivative of the Sikorsky Black Hawk. As part of the Air Force’s Combat Search and Rescue Mission, which includes Personnel Recovery Operations, the helicopters are used to extricate troops from dangerous situations in uncertain or hostile environments. Preliminary design review of this new aircraft is expected to take place this year.