Israeli defense company BIRD Aerosystems has successfully delivered its Advanced Airborne Missile Protection System (AMPS) to an unidentified African air force, completing installation and testing on Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters. The upgrade significantly strengthens protection against surface-to-air and shoulder-fired missile attacks. The AMPS package includes BIRD’s SPREOS directional infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) and μEYE missile warning sensor technologies. Working in tandem, these components provide early detection, tracking, and defense against missile threats. The μEYE system detects launches through electro-optical sensing, triggering SPREOS to confirm the missile’s authenticity via radar and activate laser-based jamming. Once activated, SPREOS directs a dual-band laser beam at the missile’s seeker, confusing its guidance system and forcing it off course. At the same time, the radar continuously tracks the missile’s trajectory to confirm the success of the countermeasure. According to BIRD, this integrated approach ensures precise targeting and eliminates false alarms, providing reliable protection even against advanced guided threats. The delivery demonstrates the growing importance of counter-missile technologies for rotary-wing aircraft in regions vulnerable to man-portable air-defense systems. BIRD Aerosystems continues to strengthen its footprint in Africa, supplying air forces with advanced protection suites that improve mission safety without compromising aircraft performance.
