Last Updated: 06/17/2009*

Raytheon completed the first flight test of its Quiet Eyes laser pointer-tracker system, a Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) turret that protects aircraft from heat-seeking missiles by jamming and diverting them away from aircraft. Quiet Eyes was integrated with the BAE Systems Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) system on a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

System Hailed as a Significant Breakthrough
“Raytheon’s Quiet Eyes represents a significant breakthrough in Directed Infrared Countermeasures technology,” said Mike Booen, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Security and Directed Energy Systems. “Quiet Eyes is the smallest, lightest, most affordable and reliable DIRCM pointer-tracker available today.”

During the test, ATIRCM detected the threat while in flight. Quiet Eyes then tracked and applied the countermeasure laser to the threat. The test verified the system’s performance on the Blackhawk during hover, high- and low-speed cruise, and both acceleration and deceleration.

How it Works
The DIRCM system consists of a missile warning system and a laser pointer-tracker (Quiet Eyes). The missile warning system identifies an infrared threat inbound to the platform; the Quiet Eyes turret slews in a split second to where the warning system finds the IR missile threat. It than acquires it, tracks it and through a fiber connected to a telescope inside the turret dome, transfers laser energy to defeat the missile.

The flight test follows a November 2008 live-fire ground demonstration when the ATIRCM system integrated with Quiet Eyes acquired, tracked and shot down an array of IR-guided missile targets.

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