BAE Systems has been awarded a contract to provide soft kill active protection systems (APS) for U.S. Army combat vehicles, according to an announcement from the company. These layered vehicle protection systems are designed to detect, track, and neutralize incoming anti-tank guided missiles, and unmanned aerial systems threats before they reach the vehicle hull. These systems enhance crew and vehicle survivability as well as mission effectiveness
The contract will also support further development of BAE Systems’ Stormcrow and Terra Raven countermeasure systems and the delivery of prototype systems for vehicle integration and testing.
An APS integrates radar, electro-optical and infra-red (EO/IR) sensors, a fire control processor, and a countermeasure launcher into a single defensive suite mounted on an armored vehicle. When the radar or the EO/IR sensor detects an inbound projectile, the system calculates intercept geometry and fires a countermeasure either a hard-kill interceptor or a soft-kill electronic jammer, depending on system type within milliseconds. The entire engagement cycle is largely autonomous, operating faster than a human crew can react.
BAE`s soft kill APS systems comprise of sensors, countermeasure systems, and AI-enabled autonomy functions. The sensors comprise of a network of four high-definition (1920×1200), extended-view longwave IR camera cores that deliver 360 degree situational awareness and threat warnings to the combat vehicle crews.
The APS system leverages BAE`s Rapid Optical Observation and Kill (ROOK) countermeasures system. ROOK is a aircraft derived soft-kill countermeasure system which renders the threats ineffective by jamming them, probably by using a laser to dazzle or burn through the seeker systems of the incoming threat. This also preserves the limited magazine depth of hard-kill kinetic countermeasures.
These vehicle protection systems are developed and manufactured at the company’s Austin, Texas plant, whereas research and development support takes place at Merrimack, New Hampshire.
Integrating APS onto existing vehicle platforms is not a straightforward retrofit. The sensors require unobstructed fields of view, which can conflict with crew hatches, external stowage, and antenna mounts already present on legacy vehicles.
Weight and power budgets are additional constraints. Combat vehicles carry finite electrical generation capacity, and adding sensor suites, processors, and actuators draws from the same bus that powers communications, thermal imaging, and other mission-critical systems.
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