Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has introduced a new collision warning system (CWS) that has the potential to prevent mid-air collision of military aircraft with commercial and civilian aircraft.

The CWS will allow military and civil aircraft to fly in congested air space, by improving flight safety.

It is said to extend the collision-warning functions of IAI's EHUD range-independent air-combat manoeuvring instrumentation (ACMI).

IAI/MALAM Division general manager Jacob Galifat said: "The growing congestion of the airspace and lack of integration between military and civil air spaces requires new, independent solutions to prevent collisions.

"Such systems will improve flight safety without compromising operational freedom.

"The CWS we are introducing today combines the independence, operational freedom, ease of integration and affordability which are so important for the military operator, enabling military pilots to fly safely without risk to civilian or military aircraft nearby, in both training and operational flights."

Through the integration of interrogation friend/foe (IFF) and automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B), the CWS system can monitor non-military platforms and warn of the proximity and risk of collision with commercial aircraft.

"Such systems will improve flight safety without compromising operational freedom."

The system creates a complete air situational picture, based on the reception and interrogation of EHUD, IFF and ADS-B signals.

Warnings are provided in three different forms such as a voice warning, graphical indication on a tablet panel and via symbols presented on existing cockpit displays (MPD / MFD).

These warnings are made visible only to military pilots operating fighter jets, training aircraft, military helicopters and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).


Image: A rendering of a civilian and military aircraft. Photo: courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.