The US Air Force has a new “intelligent” weapon for helicopters. This is supposed to be a “generational leap”

The American technology and defense company (actually Advanced Tactical Hostile Engagement Awareness – translated as “advanced tactical awareness of enemy attacks”) is a real breakthrough and a leap of at least a generation in the field of warning against attacks.

A “generation” leap in the American army. ATHENA aims to improve safety

ATHENA is a system of sensors that are constantly on the lookout for and warn in advance against an attack – primarily a missile attack. Compared to previous solutions used by the US Air Force, the new system will have higher resolution, computing power, more advanced software and greater “intelligence”. This allows for faster and more precise targeting of enemy missiles and earlier warning of an attack.

Images from cameras and data from ATHENA system sensors are now smoothly superimposed on each other in such a way as to create a full spherical map (360 degrees) of the surroundings around a given aircraft or helicopter – explains the manufacturer. The system operator can therefore look around in every possible direction without any restrictions, which was not possible until now. It also has a longer detection range.

Northrop Grumman also explains that the capabilities of the new system go far beyond capturing traditional infrared guided missiles. ATHENA also intercepts anti-tank guided missiles and regular enemy fire with the same effectiveness. Thanks to, among others, higher computing power, it also responds to threats much faster, which is to give more time for soldiers or the systems of the attacked aircraft to react, for example by firing flares.

Dennis Neel, program director at Northrop Grumman, said the new radar would give troops “an additional margin of safety in contested airspace” and allow them to return home safely. It also increases the chances of, above all, military helicopters, whose missile detection capabilities will now be similar to those of much larger aircraft. ATHENA was designed at the request of the American army and should soon be implemented in US Air Force helicopters.