The experimental DIRCM FLASH, developed by EADS, DBD and Thales has been integrated into a C-160 aircraft and successfully tested under in-flight conditions. FLASH is an active closed loop Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) against heat-seeking missiles. FLASH operation is as follows: After handover following an alarm from the missile warning system FLASH enters autonomous passive tracking mode for tracking a missiles and sending a laser beam onto the missile. Fine tracking is achieved by active laser tracking and the missile is countered by laser jamming and laser damaging. In the presented flight tests performed at CEV (Cazaux, France), the MILDS AN/AAR-60 MWS was used for generating the missile warning after SIDEMIR missile launches. The aim of the tests was to prove the correct handover from the MWS to the DIRCM and the autonomous passive IR tracking capability, obtaining sufficient tracking time and tracking accuracy for countermeasures. In a following campaign at DBD (Roethenbach, Germany) the active closed loop capability could be proven by performing active tracking against a functional and approaching seeker head. The aim of these tests was to demonstrate the correct handover from passive IR tracking to active laser tracking and to quantify the achievable active tracking accuracy. Results for both test campaigns are presented as well as live video scenes from air and ground.


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