Striking Photos Show US Testing Anti-ship Missile Defense Capabilities

The Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare system (AOEW) is one of the most advanced, complex electronic warfare systems ever developed. PHOTO BY SWNS 

The U.S. Navy has successfully tested a helicopter-mounted warfare missile jammer that will protect its warships.

The Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare system (AOEW) is described as one of the most advanced, complex electronic warfare systems ever developed.

It is designed to deliver persistent electronic surveillance and attack capability against naval threats like anti-ship missiles (ASM).

Developed by Lockheed Martin, the AOEW Active Mission Payload (AMP) system is a self-contained pod fixed to Seahawk helicopters.

Striking pictures released Tuesday (12 Dec) see a Navy MH-60R helicopter tested with a system pod loaded onto its forward wing, while suspended in the anechoic test chamber at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

The U.S. Navy has successfully tested a helicopter-mounted warfare missile jammer that will protect its warships. PHOTO BY SWNS 

The anechoic chamber is a room designed to stop reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves. It provides an environment to facilitate testing air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronics systems on full-scale aircraft and land vehicles prior to open air testing.

The test marked the first time in the program’s development the system was able to perform engagement testing, demonstrate the ability to deter threats, and quantify system performance, while integrated and controlled by the target platform.

Deon Viergutz, vice president of Spectrum Convergence at Lockheed Martin, says: “The AOEW system is one of the most advanced, complex electronic warfare systems ever developed.

The U.S. Navy has successfully tested a helicopter-mounted warfare missile jammer that will protect its warships. PHOTO BY SWNS 

“AOEW is a force multiplier for our Sailors that will help them dominate and control the battlespace without ever firing a single shot.

“It is designed with evolutionary capabilities, set up to be completely programmable so that it can develop, deliver and deploy new techniques as the threat landscape changes.”

Lockheed Martin say more tests and demonstrations of the AOEW pod on host platforms are planned in 2024.

“The team will use the results to continue to refine system performance. Currently, AOEW is under a low-rate initial production contract and deliveries of the first AOEW units are expected in the next year,” they add.

 

Produced in association with SWNS Talker