Europe certifies AMPS missile protection on VIP business jet

BIRD Aerosystems has installed its Airborne Missile Protection System on a Bombardier Global 7500 business jet and received European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification for the installation, giving the long-range VIP aircraft protection against shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles.

The Israeli company, part of U.S.-listed Ondas Holdings, announced the milestone on Oct. 12. EASA approval means the missile protection suite is now part of the aircraft’s certified configuration and meets European airworthiness rules for the Global 7500. BIRD did not name the aircraft’s owner or operator.

Known as AMPS, the suite is built to defeat man-portable air defense systems, the shoulder-launched infrared missiles that pose the main threat to aircraft during takeoff and landing. Sensors on the jet watch for a missile launch and confirm that it is a real threat before the system starts tracking the incoming missile. A directional infrared countermeasure then points an infrared beam at the missile’s seeker to throw it off course, and BIRD says the confirmation step keeps false alarms close to zero.

“The Global 7500 is another aircraft now protected by BIRD Aerosystems, joining a growing number of high-value platforms equipped with our airborne missile protection suite. This program reflects the continued expansion of our activity in the market and the growing demand for advanced protection against MANPADS and other missile threats,” said Ronen Factor, co-CEO and founder of BIRD Aerosystems.

Bombardier’s flagship business jet can fly about 14,260 km (7,700 nautical miles) without refueling, enough to link Europe with Asia or the United States nonstop, and several governments use it to carry heads of state and senior officials. Fitting a missile protection system to a civil-certified jet requires changes to the airframe, wiring and power supply that must be approved by aviation regulators, and BIRD handled design, installation and certification for this aircraft as a single program.

The Global 7500 joins the list of VIP and head-of-state aircraft that already carry AMPS. BIRD’s systems also protect military helicopters and transport planes, and the company says its customers include U.S. government agencies, United Nations air operations and NATO forces. Alongside missile protection, BIRD builds an airborne surveillance package called ASIO for maritime patrol and search-and-rescue aircraft.

BIRD says AMPS can be adapted to a wide range of aircraft and that it provides support for the system after installation, and the newly certified Global 7500 configuration is now available to other operators of the jet.