Middle Wallop, United Kingdom – The Chinook Mark 6 (MK 6) helicopter of the British Armed Forces successfully conducted its first flight equipped with the new infrared suppression system (IRSS), a technology designed to reduce the aircraft’s thermal signature and make it less vulnerable to heat-guided missiles.
The flight test occurred in the Middle Wallop aviation field, operated by the British army, and marked an important advance in the aircraft protection program. The installation of new extended exhaust brackets represents the largest protection modification ever made in a UK Chinook by Boeing in the last decade.
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“It’s great to see our multidisciplinary teams joining to support IRS’s ability and make the first flight,” said Leanne Legge, Boeing UK Vertical Lift director. “We are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with our client and British suppliers to deliver the UK Chinooks fleet uptime.”
IRSS is considered a key resource for increasing Chinooks safety and operational effectiveness in combat environments. By reducing the aircraft’s heat emission, the system makes it difficult to detect infrared missile sensors, contributing directly to the protection of crew and the success of the missions.
The flight test campaign will continue in the coming months, with the aim of validating and improving the new system before its large -scale integration into the British fleet.
Source and Images: Boeing Defense UK. This content was created with the help of AI and revised by the editorial team.
