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Guardiaris consortium present new Non-lethal system against Aircraft.
Carboteh, a subsidiary of the Slovenian simulation specialist Guardiaris, presented an enhanced variant of the BANS air defense weapon system at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. BANS stands for Battlefield Anti-Aircraft Non-lethal System and can now be effective not only in portable use but also when integrated into a platform. Additionally, Carboteh engineers claim to have increased the system's range from five to seven kilometers, with an altitude capability of three kilometers. In Paris, the electronic warfare weapon system could be seen integrated on an anti-aircraft JLTV.
At Eurosatory, the Battlefield Anti-Aircraft Non-lethal System (BANS) was seen for the first time in its integrated version on an anti-aircraft JLTV. (Picture source: HardPunkt)
The operating mode of the non-kinetic electronic warfare weapon is based on the principle of deception and deterrence, as it was initially developed as a test system to assess the functioning of aircraft self-protection systems. According to the manufacturer, the signals emitted by BANS can simulate an approaching threat and thus deceive all aircraft self-protection systems against flares introduced on the market. Aircraft warning systems react to the BANS signal and automatically deploy countermeasures by triggering flare decoys. According to the manufacturer, BANS is capable of forcing aircraft to launch countermeasures and use their own defenses without any real threat. Once all decoys are exhausted, the aircraft is practically defenseless and can be more easily targeted by anti-aircraft systems such as MANPADS. In many cases, it may also result in the "threatened" aircraft turning around and aborting its mission.
According to Primož Peterca, CEO of Guardiaris, since the BANS' global debut at Eurosatory 2022, the company has successfully sold the portable version of the weapon to the armed forces of six countries, including the Bundeswehr. He states that the system also proves its worth daily in warfare operations.
As Peterca explains, Carboteh received an order from the Slovenian Ministry of Defense to further develop the non-kinetic electronic warfare weapon as part of the Mangart 25 anti-aircraft system development—a variant of an anti-aircraft gun on a protected 4x4 JLTV vehicle—so that it is also platform-integrated. Additionally, BANS is to be installed on maritime platforms as well. The CEO further explains that the system has already been integrated into the Mangart 25 turret architecture and is currently undergoing extensive testing.
The manufacturer claims that the best effective results of BANS can be achieved in conjunction with a radar, EO sensor, and a short-range air defense system. Integrated into a weapon station, the system offers complete 360-degree coverage thanks to an integrated pan and tilt mechanism. An elevation range of 10 to 75 degrees allows targeting and engaging low and high-flying aircraft. An integrated high-resolution daytime vision camera serves as a secondary redundant electro-optical sensor.
According to Peterca, BANS can be combined with any weapon station. The CEO of Carboteh mentions that they are currently in negotiations with several manufacturers. Hardware integration requires just a few screws, and the BANS software must also be connected to the weapon station's operator software via an API interface so that the weapon can be controlled through the corresponding control unit.