Having recently won a contract to equip Belgian Air Force F-16 fighters with its AN/AAR-60 (V)2 missile launch detection system (MILDS), German sensor company Hensoldt is now protecting the majority of the F-16s operated by European air forces. Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway previously adopted the system.

Hensoldt’s product is a passive imaging sensor that detects the UV radiation signature of approaching missiles. Several apertures linked to a countermeasure signal processor provide full spherical coverage and rapid reaction. The system can be installed in either pylons, pods, or in the fuselage. Hensoldt says that MILDS considerably enhances protection against shoulder-fired infrared-guided missiles, which cannot easily be detected by current warning systems.

An earlier version of the AN/AAR-60 is the standard missile-warning device on many helicopters and transport aircraft, including Tiger, NH90, CH-53, CH-47, and C-130.