Gareth Jennings, Santiago - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
Chile is expected to be one of the first Latin American nations that will look to equip its aircraft with defensive aids systems ahead of overseas deployments in support of international peacekeeping and disaster relief missions.
Orbital ATK (formerly Alliant Techsystems) has reported a marked increase in the number of Latin American militaries looking to equip their aircraft with defensive aids systems for overseas deployments in support of international peacekeeping and humanitarian relief efforts.
Speaking to IHS Jane's at the FIDAE Airshow on 31 March, Ray Mederos, Director of Business Development at Orbital ATK, said that this drive to fit missile approach warning systems (MAWS) and countermeasures is a relatively new phenomenon, as countries across the region look to increase their participation in international operations in regions that are somewhat less stable than their own.
"There's not a local threat in Latin America that requires the fitting of defensive aids, but as regional countries look to do a lot more work in places like Africa they are becoming much more aware of the threat posed to their aircraft from MANPADS [man-portable air defence systems] and the like, and they want to protect themselves against them," he said.
Orbital ATK offers a range of defensive aid systems that includes the AN/AAR-47 MAWS that equips a large number and wide variety of US and international aircraft. According to Mederos, he expects Colombia and Chile to lead the Latin American effort to equip their aircraft, with other regional militaries following suit afterwards.
"We have been speaking to the Chileans for aircraft that they plan on using outside of Latin America for which they are concerned for their survivability," he said. Mederos added that, while Orbital ATK does not currently have a permanent presence in the region, that could change as demand for the company's products and expertise grows.
