HENSOLDT to protect German «Super Hercules» from missiles threat

The Budeswehr (German Armed Forces) decided to equip its three new Lockheed Martin C-130J-30s and three KC-130Js with state-of-the-art MILDS Block 2 missile defense system from HENSOLDT.

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HENSOLDT will supply a total of 35 MILDS Block 2 system sensors (five per aircraft and five units for laboratory use) to Danish company Terma A/S, which manages the systems integration at Lockheed Martin through Terma Inc. The contracts, worth €2.9 million, were signed in 2020.So far, 20 sensors have already been delivered. In January 2023, the remaining 15 sensors will be delivered.

The first «Super Hercules» for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) was delivered to Évreux/Fauville (France) on February 19, 2022, where it will operate within the Franco-German tactical airlift squadron, which entered service only a few days ago. These aircraft will help close the capability gap created by the retirement of the C-160 «Transall».

MILDS Block 2 anti-missile system

The MILDS Block 2 is a real-image passive sensor system optimized for the detection of emission signatures in the UV spectral band (not visible to the human eye) emitted by the approaching missile exhaust plume.

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The sensor is designed as a successor to the well-known MILDS AN/AAR-60, offering increased sensitivity and additional applications. The MILDS Block 2 detects incoming missile threats and indicates the direction of arrival with maximum warning time. The high spatial resolution of MILDS Block 2, combined with advanced temporal processing, provides a very high declaration rate (ability to discover the threat), virtually eliminating false alarms.

The MILDS Block 2 system typically consists of four to six identical detectors interconnected and integrated into the higher-level EW system. In addition, it requires neither cooling nor a central processing unit.

Addressing today’s threat

A high percentage of aircraft losses in current and recent conflicts have been caused by ground defense systems based on light surface-to-air infrared missiles, as is happening with the use of MANPADS in the conflict in Ukraine.

To keep pace with evolving threats, HENSOLDT Sensors has developed the MILDS AN/AAR-60 Block 2 missile warning system, a self-protection solution specifically for helicopters and wide-body aircraft that enables higher throughput and enables additional functions such as sensor data logging and hostile fire indication (HFI).

Rapid detection and declaration, combined with automatic countermeasure release and crew alerting, supports mission success and safe return of crew and aircraft to base.