BAE Launches New Aircraft Equipment Testing Facility

BAE Systems has launched its new Worrell / Weeks aircrew protection centre for testing and evaluating aircraft equipment.

The $20m facility will be used to test equipment for defending military rotary and fixed-winged aircraft and helicopter against infrared-guided missiles and hostile fire.

The new facility will allow the testing of missile warning and hostile fire detection systems under demanding conditions that simulate the actual temperature, vibration, and motion characteristics of flight.

The facility is equipped with two independent flight motion simulators, a two-axis gantry to simulate movable threats, an indoor and outdoor test range, and electro-optic / infrared, software and multispectral labs.

The new facility is part of a three-year, $70m investment to develop advanced manufacturing and systems engineering facilities for integrated aircraft survivability equipment.