Indra Will Develop the Identification System for the A400M Military Transport Aircraft

Indra, EADS CASA has awarded Indra the contract to develop the identification system for the A400M Airbus Military European transport aircraft following an international tender which included the main companies in the sector.  
 
During the final phase of the tender, Indra had to compete against the French group, Thales. This programme must be added to the programme Indra recently won to develop the electronic defence systems for the A400M.  
 
Under this first contract, Indra will implement its identification system in the 180 aircraft which have already been contracted for Germany (60), France (50), Spain (27), United Kingdom (25), Turkey (10), Belgium (7) and Luxembourg (1).  
 
Furthermore, the system will become a standard for future Airbus Military units, over 200 prospective aircraft, and will also become a reference in the international market.  
 
The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system designed and developed by Indra will provide the A400M with secure identification capabilities when interrogated by other airborne platforms. Consequently, the aircraft will be able to identify themselves as “friends” when they encounter other NATO aircraft. The said identification can only be achieved by the aircraft that responds correctly using a code that randomly and continuously varies based on criteria established by NATO.  
 
The system will include all current operational modes and will be prepared to include future modes defined in the relevant NATO directives.  
 
Indra began developing its IFF systems over 20 years ago and is considered at present, one of the world leading companies in both military and civil air-traffic control applications. Among the most recent references, we can mention the identification systems developed for French and Spanish Tiger Helicopters, F-18 Hornet and P-3 Orion aircraft and for civil aviation in Poland and the Ukraine.