Aircraft Self-Defense

The Air Force Research Laboratory is exploring the technologies that would be required to develop an affordable, miniature self-defense munition to protect aircraft from incoming missiles and other threats.

Today's countermeasure systems use flares and electronic systems to disrupt and distract incoming missiles, whereas the laboratory says it is interested in an air-to-air munition.

AFRL's weapons branch at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, posted two broad agency announcements related to the Miniature Self-Defense Munition program in February and updated those posts on March 9.

One BAA calls for contractor support to produce a technology roadmap for a future air-to-air munition and another looks at possible seeker designs.

"The objective of this program is to develop a conceptual design of an affordable air-to-air seeker front end (optics/algorithms) for the aircraft self-defense role," the seeker design BAA states.

Responses to both BAAs are due by March 30.