Israeli contractor Elta Electronics Ltd. has been awarded a $5.6 M contract covering the supply of its EL/M-2160 missile approach warner (MAW) for installation aboard 24 UH-60L Yanshuf (Night Owl) 3 assault helicopters being acquired by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
As well as an undisclosed quantity of hardware, the award is understood to include future procurement options.
Weighing approximately 20 kg, the EL/M-2160 is a solid-state, pulse Doppler equipment that is made up of a transceiver/processor, a radio frequency head and between four and six antennas, the precise number depending on the specific application.
Elta claims that the system offers effective detection through a threat missile's boost, sustain and post burnout flight phases and over time, M-2160 applications have included fast jets, transport aircraft and a number of types of helicopter.
Here, helicopters cited include members of the Bell212/412 family and the Russian MIL Mi-17. Sources consulted suggest that the IAF's 15 UH-60L Yanshuf 2 aircraft are fitted with an Elisra-sources passive MAW rather than the described Elta active unit.