Story ID: 
Elisra slashes number of defensive avionics boxes
By: Brian Walters
Caption: The need to unify aircraft defensive aids  systems (DAS) has long been recognized and Elisra’s expertise in achieving this is a major feature of its d
Word Count: 354
The need to unify aircraft defensive aids  systems (DAS) has long been recognized and Elisra’s expertise in achieving this is a major feature of its display in the Israel pavilion in Hall A. Highly effective radar warning receivers (RWR), electronic countermeasures (ECM) and electronic support measures (ESM) can all contribute to the protection of aerial platforms but until recently each has required its own boxes and cables.

The result is a high demand for cooling, while weight and volume demands are at the expense of other payloads. However, by addressing this problem Elisra has not only concentrated several functions into one box to process data from many sensors, but it has also shortened the time between each receiver’s interception and the appropriate response. 

As a result of drawing on its all-in-one concept for integrating multiple capabilities, Elisra’s infrared solutions can provide a missile warning system (MWS), panoramic 360-degree display and collision avoidance as well as small arms fire warning and detection. By doing away with the need for multiple units on fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and UAVs, the Elisra solution saves space and considerably reduces cost. 

As many conflicts oblige helicopters to fly low over urban areas, making them vulnerable to small arms and missiles, much of Elisra’s effort has been devoted to their protection. The company’s passive airborne warning system (PAWS) is produced specifically for helicopter and transport aircraft protection, although PAWS-2 is a further development for the protection of combat aircraft. The latter has been selected to serve as the MWS for Israeli Air Force F-16I fighters. The company’s new Sapir system features true 360-degree day-and-night vision in adverse weather conditions, with the output shown in a helmet-mounted display. 

The Spectrolite unified DAS and ESM system, packed into a single line replaceable unit, can add laser detection as well as infrared detection sensors to provide a swift sensor-to-weapon response. The system includes provision for a chaff/flare controller and a tie-in with a MWS and jammer system.