Saab's IDAS: Self-Protection System of Choice

 

(Top) NH90 with Saab EW; (Above) ALH Rudra of the IAF.

For aircraft operating in sophisticated, diverse, and dense threat environments, selfprotection is crucial. Saab's IDAS family is a suite of advanced capabilities, designed to provide Electronic Warfare (EW) self-protection for airborne platforms in these sophisticated, diverse and dense threat environments.

The IDAS of today is a further evolutionary progression of the original Saab concept to provide the world's first fully Integrated Defensive Aids Suite. This evolution of the integrated solutionis so successful that IDAS has been selected as the system of choice by more than 15 different end users. Customers include NATO nations as well customers from Latin America and Asia.

IDAS provides for an EW Controller with a Defensive Aids Controller (DAC) capability to enable full system integration of Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Missile Approach Warning (MAW), Laser Warning System (LWS) and a Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) capability. IDAS has the ability to integrate with different CMDS systems including the Saab BOP-L or as is the case in India where IDAS is integrated with the locally produced Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) CMDS for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk.III and Mk.IV platforms.

The highly advanced DAC allows for full system integration inclusive of 3rd party sub-systems such as IR MAW, Directed Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) and is CMDS diagnostic. IDAS provides for essential situational awareness of the surrounding electromagnetic environment which in turn provides for enhanced platform survivability with aid of countermeasures. IDAS also provides for HMI and fully programmable EW ground support system (EGSS) and an in-flight recording capability.

CIDAS is a small and light weight variant of IDAS that provide only electro-optic sensors and a smaller controller. It is designed for the protection of aircraft against Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS), and laser based threats, many of which are encountered in the currently prevailing peacekeeping environment.

The Saab IDAS is key to the Army and Air Force HAL Dhruv Mk.III and Mk.IV self-protection. IDAS was first integrated with the Indian Army and Air Force's version of ALH (Dhruv) in the year 2005. For the last 18 years, the selfprotection suite has been installed on more than 300 Indian Air Force and the Indian Army helicopters, which has played an important role in enhancing platform survivability in dense threat environments.

"For India, IDAS is more than just a product proposition. Having established the maintenance, transfer of technology at HAL Hyderabad, Saab is now in the final stages with HAL for IDAS production transfer of technology to India. This means HAL, will be producing the local Indian versions of IDAS right here in India," says Group Captain Ritu Raj Tyagi (Retd), Marketing Director, Aeronautics, Saab India.

Two variants of IDAS is in operation on Dhruv. The Air Force version Integrated Self Protection Suite (ISPS) and the Army version Electronic Warfare Self Protection System (EWSPS). Both versions include radar warning, missile approach warning, laserwarning as well as the countermeasure dispensing system produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

IDAS is setting the standard for platform agnostic, integrated self-protection systems. More than 500 systems are already installed on various types of aircraft such as helicopters, fixed wing platforms and fighter aircraft.