Enhancing Finnish Air Force survivability

Saab’s BOL countermeasures dispenser system will be installed on the Finnish Air Force’s F-18 Hornet to improve the aircraft’s Electronic Warfare Self Protection capability.

The BOL dispensers provide protection against both heat-seeking and radar guided missiles, and the configuration for the F-18’s dramatically increases the countermeasure payload carried by each aircraft.

"We are pleased to be a supplier of equipment once again to the Finnish Air Force’s fighter aircraft. We are looking forward to providing the customer with the best dispenser available which will significantly enhance the survivability of the aircraft,” says Micael Johansson, Business Unit Manager, Saab Avitronics.

The integration and production contract is valued at MEURO14 and also includes an extensive Industrial Participation (IP) package for the Finnish industry. Saab will begin delivering the systems and services in 2009 and these will be largely completed by the end of 2011.

Image: BOL at the Royal Australian Air Force’s F/A-18 Hornet. Photo: Royal Australian Air Force

Avoiding pyrotechnics makes loading safer

Saab BOL Countermeasures Dispensing system uses wingtip vortices to distribute the chaff and IR payload, which greatly improves dispersion and the rapid formation of a protective cloud, while avoiding the need for pyrotechnics and making it quicker, easier and safer to load the system. Each BOL holds 160 chaff/IR packages, five times more than conventional dispensers.

The system is currently in operational service on, for example, Gripen, the UK’s Harrier GR7 and Tornado and the US Air Force/Air National Guard’s F-15 Eagle. The system is also in production for the EF-2000 Typhoon the Royal Australian Air Force’s F/A-18 Hornet.