The crashed CN235 Air Force of Colombia have been modified for electronic warfare, a conversion now questioned
(Defensa.com) On Friday July 31 one CN235-200M aircraft Air Combat Command No. 1 of the Colombian Air Force near the town of Agustin Codazzi, Department of Cesar crashed after leaving the base of Palanquero died eleven troops who were aboard. Also on Friday a statement from the Colombian Air Force reported that the plane incident While performing surveillance and intelligence work. In that statement FAC1261 registration was required and the possible cause of the accident was mentioned in engine failure that would have been reported.
Although the plane was mentioned as transport, the images began to be of the wreckage showed that this CN235-200M the fuselage had been modified to receive various types of electronic systems. Although no official information on the program, the damaged CN235-200M would be one of the two transport planes they began to be modified two years ago by the Colombian Aeronautics Corporation (CIAC) to house industry intelligence systems and interception of signals possibly of Israeli origin. It is therefore assumed that in addition to the crew, shipboard personnel would be responsible for operating and interpret embedded systems.
Available analyzing the images are identified at least a radome for a satellite communications system (SATCOM) on top of the cabin, bulbs on the sides of the fuselage possibly associated with ELINT / ESM, MWS distance sensors in missile systems sides of the front part of the fuselage and the tail rudder, appreciating a change in this area to house the systems. Other changes suggestive of self-protection systems against missiles detected by the MWS and other unidentified teams. The origin of these systems would be of Israeli origin, in fact, during the last edition of the Paris Air Show held between 15 and 31 June, the Israeli manufacturer Elbit Systems promoted its electronic warfare system Air Keeper reporting that had It has been sold to a customer for installation at precisely the CN235. As we will see the features of this system are largely in line with what one can sense carried the crashed plane.
Electronic warfare system Air Keeper
The Air Keeper is designed to modify cargo aircraft or passengers to provide them with SIGINT and EW capabilities. The set of computers that are primarily contribute two critical capabilities such as acquisition of intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities soft, making it a valuable tool for many applications. These capabilities reduce the effectiveness of radar systems and radio communications of the enemy, may determine the origin of these sources. The manufacturer calls it a suitable tool for asymmetric or low-intensity combat where the objectives are presented in short time.
Electronic countermeasures are accurate and shall not interfere with the SIGINT aircraft equipment while operating simultaneously, something that is unusual, hence not often combine SIGINT capabilities with electronic attack. However the Air Keeper program has both capabilities as a result of combining several subsystems such as electronic support measures / Electronic Intelligence (ESM / ELINT), the electronic countermeasures (ECM), the Communications Intelligence and finding the source signals (COMINT / DF or Direction Finding), the Disruption of Communications (COMJAM), the Command and Control, the self-defense against antiaircraft missiles (or SPS Self Protection System) and satellite communications (SATCOM) .
The ESM / ELINT system is able to detect, measure, identify, monitor and intercept radar signals automatically and provide protection capability, surveillance, early warning, data acquisition, data analysis and geolocation. The ECM system detects, locates and selectively disrupts objectives, neutralizing their systems. The COMINT / DF subsystem is able to detect and classify the signs and find their origin. The aircraft would be capable of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) to allow operators to analyze and exploit the information obtained by the COMINT / DF and ESM / equipment ELINT.El aircraft has a suite of self-defense to detect anti-aircraft missiles , hence bearing sensors Missile Warning System (MWS or Missile Warning System), Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) systems disturbance and countermeasures dispensers. Finally, a bidirectional satellite communications antenna for allowing connection of the aircraft with the ground station for speech or data transmission.
Modification of the CN 235
The redesign of an aircraft requires the issuance of a certificate of conformity for a design authority, usually the manufacturer of the aircraft. This certificate, called Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) should reflect not only the approval of the amendment but as this affects the original design. The day after the accident Airbus Defence and Space issued a press release in which he showed his condolences to those affected by the accident and stated that the aircraft had been delivered to the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Seville in 1998 configuration military transport. Hence, at this time it is unknown whether the changes made to these aircraft in Colombia have the STC certificate from Airbus Defence and Space (aircraft manufacturer).
The causes of the accident are still unclear although several have been considered ranging from engine failure, the release of one or both wings or until it was struck by lightning. The accident and is being investigated by a commission of the General Inspectorate of the Air Force of Colombia who moved to the scene. The Colombian media showed a video taken from a mobile phone on the plane before siniestrarse shown, leaving a trail of smoke and according to witnesses, shedding parts of the fuselage, which were scattered over a kilometer. It is still early to say whether the changes made in the plane may have had some effect on the structure that has contributed to the accident or has worsened.
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