Final Report Summary - CASAM (Civil Aircraft Security Againt MANPADS)
The EU project CASAM concentrated research on the defeating equipment, which is considered to be that part of an aircraft's protection system which has substantial cost and weight: an innovative directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) equipment shall be specifically designed for commercial aircraft, bringing minimum perturbation on the aircraft operation and the airport environment. Hence, the global objective of CASAM project was to design and validate a laser-based DIRCM module for Manpads jamming, which would comply with the constraints of commercial air transportation, including the civil aircraft profile of flight, and would be able to defeat Manpads of first and second generation (currently the most available world-wide) and also of third generation which may become a threat in the future.
Security has been a major issue for commercial air transport for many decades, as terrorist attacks on commercial aircraft have a big psychological impact on population, and thus on economical activity. Beside the 11th of September twin towers type of event exists another threat: 15 000 disseminated shoulder launched IR guided missiles (Manpads) which are in uncontrolled hands. Several attacks already occurred and evidence of traffic has been reported, as Manpads are plentiful on the black market, inexpensive and easy to operate. The United States (US) is preparing some regulations to force commercial aircraft to be equipped with onboard protection systems. It is vital for Europe from a security and an economical point of view to be able to answer this requirement as well.
The detailed CASAM objectives included:
- Taking into account relevant regulation and standardisation issues, to define, with the end-users the consolidated operational requirements for commercial airliners (e.g. the total ownership cost per hour of flight) and the resulting specific technical requirements / specification for the DIRCM.
- To define the detailed architecture of critical subsystems (turret, opto-mechanical unit, laser and related software) of a closed-loop DIRCM-system able to detect a threatening Manpads threat, to identify the type of IR-seeker, to track the missile and to jam the Manpads-seeker within few seconds.
- To design and demonstrate an innovative and simplified turret exhibiting: full spatial coverage with two turrets and high agility (90 degrees rotation within 100 ms).
- Use composite materials, so that the system will have low drag (externally exposed volume below 3 litres) and low weight (below 3 kg) for the mobile part.
- Passive and active closed-loop tracking based on a multifunctional simplified sensor: angular field of view about 10 degrees, detection of a missile in a ballistic flight, recognition of the type of the seeker of a Manpad.
- The turret will be modular for allowing incorporating future generations of lasers.
- To design and demonstrate an innovative IR laser source: wavelength 1,8-5 µm, with at least 2 band independently tuneable, high repetition rate, with controllable wave form in order to be used for both identification and defeating modes. This research will address short term and medium term threats by utilising a leading edge laboratory prototype to be included in the DIRCM laboratory prototype able to defeat current threat and progress on promising technologies that could be used against future threats or that could bring significant breakthroughs in respect of mass, cost and power consumption.
- To design and demonstrate a DIRCM software (including controlling the turret, seeker identification, tracking, laser beam controlling, defeat signal) and an interface connecting an off-the-shelf missile warning system (MWS) and the DIRCM.
- Within national confidentiality / classification constraints, to validate on ground the DIRCM technology being developed. A simulation SW-model of MWS will be coupled to the laboratory prototype of the DIRCM and used to defeat a real missile-seeker.
- To determine the expected level of protection achievable by such a system, in particular in the high threat environment in close vicinity of airports.
- To evaluate the economic and regulatory impact of installing DIRCM systems on commercial aircraft.
- To provide information to the European Commission and to European governments in support of international negotiations dealing with Manpads / protection of civil aircrafts against missiles (MSL).
The methodology made use of the majors following means:
- innovative research in pump lasers, OPO, opto-mechanical turret, FPA sensors, tracking algorithm, identification process;
- functional implementation optimisation for each technical module;
- global design and specification as the barycentre of current technology, innovative opportunities and system needs.
The CASAM clearly did not aim at re-inventing the wheel, but to base innovative approach on an exhaustive state-of-the-art in order to propose the best compromise for civil aircraft DIRCM.
The main objective of the threat analysis was to define the threat posed to civil aviation by use of Manpads and give key features of the problem. Manpads classification and the seeker performances have been reviewed. The easiest Manpads class to be operated and the most furtive systems are IR seeker missile. IR seeker performs a space to time transformation or image processing in order to localise the target position in the seeker field of view.
To be able to simulate the Manpads, a generic missile model has been realised. This model can simulate the two missiles depending on the numerical values used. They have been defined and tested first in an in-house simulation for validation and then transferred to WP230 for implementation on CASAM simulation. The generic missile model simulates the behaviour of the typical Manpads during an interception. The model comprises four parts:
- kinematics model
- seeker model: to simulate ecartometry (magnitude of deviation from true alignment with the target) once given the instantaneous duel conditions
- flight phases
- engagement sequence.
The scenarios form a set of conditions which were used for technology studies as well as conditions for performance evaluation. These scenarios considered two aircraft classes (turbojet and turboprop), two flight phases (take off and landing), for which flight profiles are given. An interception example performed with the in-house simulation was also given. Two typical aircrafts, whose signature is available in the database, were considered in this project:
- medium range aircraft (A320) with a low takeoff speed and an assumed reduced IR signature
- turboprop aircraft (ATR72) for another typical engine.
All CASAM objectives were achieved during the project.
Security has been a major issue for commercial air transport for many decades, as terrorist attacks on commercial aircraft have a big psychological impact on population, and thus on economical activity. Beside the 11th of September twin towers type of event exists another threat: 15 000 disseminated shoulder launched IR guided missiles (Manpads) which are in uncontrolled hands. Several attacks already occurred and evidence of traffic has been reported, as Manpads are plentiful on the black market, inexpensive and easy to operate. The United States (US) is preparing some regulations to force commercial aircraft to be equipped with onboard protection systems. It is vital for Europe from a security and an economical point of view to be able to answer this requirement as well.
The detailed CASAM objectives included:
- Taking into account relevant regulation and standardisation issues, to define, with the end-users the consolidated operational requirements for commercial airliners (e.g. the total ownership cost per hour of flight) and the resulting specific technical requirements / specification for the DIRCM.
- To define the detailed architecture of critical subsystems (turret, opto-mechanical unit, laser and related software) of a closed-loop DIRCM-system able to detect a threatening Manpads threat, to identify the type of IR-seeker, to track the missile and to jam the Manpads-seeker within few seconds.
- To design and demonstrate an innovative and simplified turret exhibiting: full spatial coverage with two turrets and high agility (90 degrees rotation within 100 ms).
- Use composite materials, so that the system will have low drag (externally exposed volume below 3 litres) and low weight (below 3 kg) for the mobile part.
- Passive and active closed-loop tracking based on a multifunctional simplified sensor: angular field of view about 10 degrees, detection of a missile in a ballistic flight, recognition of the type of the seeker of a Manpad.
- The turret will be modular for allowing incorporating future generations of lasers.
- To design and demonstrate an innovative IR laser source: wavelength 1,8-5 µm, with at least 2 band independently tuneable, high repetition rate, with controllable wave form in order to be used for both identification and defeating modes. This research will address short term and medium term threats by utilising a leading edge laboratory prototype to be included in the DIRCM laboratory prototype able to defeat current threat and progress on promising technologies that could be used against future threats or that could bring significant breakthroughs in respect of mass, cost and power consumption.
- To design and demonstrate a DIRCM software (including controlling the turret, seeker identification, tracking, laser beam controlling, defeat signal) and an interface connecting an off-the-shelf missile warning system (MWS) and the DIRCM.
- Within national confidentiality / classification constraints, to validate on ground the DIRCM technology being developed. A simulation SW-model of MWS will be coupled to the laboratory prototype of the DIRCM and used to defeat a real missile-seeker.
- To determine the expected level of protection achievable by such a system, in particular in the high threat environment in close vicinity of airports.
- To evaluate the economic and regulatory impact of installing DIRCM systems on commercial aircraft.
- To provide information to the European Commission and to European governments in support of international negotiations dealing with Manpads / protection of civil aircrafts against missiles (MSL).
The methodology made use of the majors following means:
- innovative research in pump lasers, OPO, opto-mechanical turret, FPA sensors, tracking algorithm, identification process;
- functional implementation optimisation for each technical module;
- global design and specification as the barycentre of current technology, innovative opportunities and system needs.
The CASAM clearly did not aim at re-inventing the wheel, but to base innovative approach on an exhaustive state-of-the-art in order to propose the best compromise for civil aircraft DIRCM.
The main objective of the threat analysis was to define the threat posed to civil aviation by use of Manpads and give key features of the problem. Manpads classification and the seeker performances have been reviewed. The easiest Manpads class to be operated and the most furtive systems are IR seeker missile. IR seeker performs a space to time transformation or image processing in order to localise the target position in the seeker field of view.
To be able to simulate the Manpads, a generic missile model has been realised. This model can simulate the two missiles depending on the numerical values used. They have been defined and tested first in an in-house simulation for validation and then transferred to WP230 for implementation on CASAM simulation. The generic missile model simulates the behaviour of the typical Manpads during an interception. The model comprises four parts:
- kinematics model
- seeker model: to simulate ecartometry (magnitude of deviation from true alignment with the target) once given the instantaneous duel conditions
- flight phases
- engagement sequence.
The scenarios form a set of conditions which were used for technology studies as well as conditions for performance evaluation. These scenarios considered two aircraft classes (turbojet and turboprop), two flight phases (take off and landing), for which flight profiles are given. An interception example performed with the in-house simulation was also given. Two typical aircrafts, whose signature is available in the database, were considered in this project:
- medium range aircraft (A320) with a low takeoff speed and an assumed reduced IR signature
- turboprop aircraft (ATR72) for another typical engine.
All CASAM objectives were achieved during the project.
