Missile Warning and 3D-Audio/ANR for Belgian Defence F-16

Aarhus, Denmark – With the Belgian Defence (BD) awarding a contract to Terma for modification of F-16 pylons to a Pylon Integrated Dispensing System (PIDS+) configuration, all of the original European Participating Air Forces (EPAF) countries – Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium – have now ordered the Terma PIDS+ pylons for their F-16s, and all of them are equipped with the Hensoldt AAR-60(V)2 Missile Warning System (MWS).

The MWS installation provides a vital improvement of the F-16 self-protection suite as the aircraft will now be able to detect and decoy attacking missiles. The MWS installation comprises a total of six sensors and one processor. Three sensors are installed in both the left-hand and right-hand pylon to provide almost full spherical coverage. The processor is installed in the right-hand pylon. The AAR-60(V)2 provides threat information to the Terma ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System in the cockpit. The ALQ-213 selects and executes the most efficient dispense sequence in the PIDS+ pylon and/or in the fuselage.

“By adding this Terma/Hensoldt MWS installation to the self-protection suite, we now have an integrated and very capable EW solution for our F-16s”, says Captain Sébastien D’hondt, F-16 Avionics Branch Material Manager, Belgian Defence.

The BD PIDS+ configuration is the most advanced variant as both left- and right-hand pylons are equipped with three dispensers where the former variants only had two ea. in the RH pylon – this was made possible by introducing a new compact variant of the Terma Digital Sequencer Switch which allows installation of the additional dispenser magazine.

BD has also awarded Terma a contract for the Terma Aircraft Audio Management System (AAMS), which includes our market leading 3D-Audio and noise reduction capabilities.

The advanced communication and situational awareness solution, which has been fielded and combat proven by the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) since 2009, provides enhancement of the pilot’s situational awareness, survivability, and reduction of his/her workload by presenting audio warnings/cues and radio messages in a full 360-degree spherical representation. Thereby enabling the pilot to get the dynamically updated warning tone/cue in the true direction of the threat and spatially separating radio communication for increased speech intelligibility. The system also provides Active Noise Reduction (ANR) and Electrical Noise Reduction (ENR) for reduced pilot stress and fatigue.

”The spatial separation of multiple communications will support time-critical radio transmissions much better than the legacy audio configuration, also as we add more radios to the BD F-16s. With the added dynamic threat cues and noise reduction, the situational awareness and mission effectiveness will greatly increase for our pilots”, says Captain Sébastien D’hondt F-16 Avionics Branch Material Manager, Belgian Defence.

The Terma AAMS will be installed on a total of 54 ea. BD F-16 aircraft and is consequently the largest F-16 AAMS order to date.