Airborne Systems supplying decoys to New Zealand

Airborne Systems supplying decoys to New Zealand
by Richard Tomkins
Bridgend, England (UPI) Aug 19, 2014

Four missing after Italy Tornado fighters collide
Rome (AFP) Aug 19, 2014 - Two Italian air force fighter jets on a training exercise crashed into each other in a mid-air collision over the centre of the country on Tuesday, officials said.

All four crew members are missing, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, although some reports suggested the pilots may have managed to eject.

"Rescue helicopters and reconnaissance fighters are in the air and a team of experts have been sent to the accident site," the statement added.

Italian media reported that the two Tornado aircraft collided near Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region.

Witnesses said the two planes had touched in flight before crashing.

Military sources were quoted as saying the crews may have been able to eject before impact.

Falling debris started a number of fires in the area, although no homes appear to have damaged, according to reports.

Decoy systems for protection against RF-seeking missiles are to be procured by the Royal New Zealand Navy from Airborne Systems Europe.

The systems, Airborne's FDS3 corner reflector decoys, will be fitted onto the service's ANZAC-class frigates over a three-year period.

The contract from the New Zealand Ministry of Defense for the FDS3 is valued at more than $5.6 million.

"This NZ MOD contract follows on from the success of the $41.7 million U.S. Navy contract in 2013," said Chris Rowe, president of Airborne Systems Europe. "In addition to providing protection for the forces of our allies, it sustains high-quality jobs in the UK, and more particularly in South Wales."

The decoy system is comprised of a deck-mounted launch tube loaded with a decoy that inflates alongside the ship's hull and then free floats past the vessel's stern. Each decoy has a passive array of radar reflectors.

The number of systems to be delivered by Airborne Systems Europe was not disclosed.

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