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RAFAEL, EADS To Offer DIRCM for Helicopters

EADS Defence Electronics and RAFAEL collaborate on Helicopter Self-Protection Systems

29 February 2004 -- EADS and RAFAEL join forces to enhance the protection of helicopters against man-portable missiles. As announced on 26 February, EADS Defence Electronics, Ulm, Germany, and RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd., Haifa, Israel, agreed on a co-operation in the area of electronic self-protection systems for civil and military helicopters with consideration of possible other applications. The goal of this co-operation is to jointly market the HeliStar system for protection against missile threats.

HeliStar brings together EADS Defence Electronics’ missile warning system MILDS AN/AAR-60 and RAFAEL’s AERO-GEM jamming system based on the latest directional infrared countermeasure technology (DIRCM). MILDS detects approaching missile and reports the threat to a central computer. This in turn automatically initiates the jamming of the missile’s seeker head by emitting a directed infrared beam. A powerful jamming turret and ultra fast steering capabilities enable the DIRCM to defeat the threat providing full hemispheric coverage. A flight test demonstration is scheduled before the end of 2004.

“The new technologies we are using here, contribute substantially to the protection of endangered helicopters”, explained Johann Heitzmann, CEO and President of EADS Defence Electronics. “Thanks to our experience in the Electronic Warfare field, we have exactly those capabilities available which are needed for this purpose both in the military as well as in the civil sector.”

David Zait, RAFAEL Corporate Vice President and General Manager Systems Division, explained: ”The HeliStar system significantly reduces the threat which man-portable air defence systems and anti-tank missiles pose to military rotorcraft. It offers an extremely low life-cycle cost together with excellent performance, bringing about a total cost-effectiveness for the product.”

RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd. designs, develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of advanced defence systems for all branches of the armed forces. RAFAEL is the leading R&D defence company in Israel, with sales in 2003 amounting to $800m.

As the sensor and avionics house of EADS, EADS Defence Electronics develops and manufactures radar as well as avionics and electronic warfare systems, such as self-protection systems for aircraft, armoured vehicles and ships. Amongst other projects, the unit is involved in equipping the A400M, the Eurofighter, the Tiger and NH90 helicopters.

EADS is the second largest aerospace and defence company in the world with revenues of € 29.9 billion (2002) and a workforce of more than 100,000. It is a systems integrator and as such one of the few companies worldwide capable of combining various products and technologies to form complete systems. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second largest missile producer in the global market.

For further information please contact
RAFAEL public affairs. Tel: 972-4-8791244