BAE Systems has secured $137 million in foreign military sales contracts from the US Army to supply AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) to allied nations.
The system is designed to detect infrared- and radio-frequency–guided missiles, which can be launched with minimal warning and engage aircraft within seconds. By providing automatic alerts and countermeasure cues to aircrews, CMWS significantly enhances aircraft survivability.
Under the agreements, CMWS units will be delivered to aircraft fleets operated by more than 20 partner countries. The technology is currently integrated across over 40 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft types worldwide, including platforms such as Boeing’s AH-64 Apache helicopter.
To date, more than 3,000 systems have been installed globally, accumulating over four million operational flight hours. CMWS is designed and manufactured at BAE Systems facilities across the United States, including production sites in Alabama, Texas, and New Hampshire.
The latest contracts build on a 2024 award, in which BAE Systems received $114 million in US Army foreign military sales funding for CMWS deliveries.
Common Missile Warning System Capabilities
CMWS serves as the US Army’s standard missile warning system and is fully compatible with existing chaff, flare, radio-frequency decoy dispensers, and directed infrared countermeasure systems. It can also function as the central processing element within an integrated aircraft survivability suite, fusing sensor data and coordinating countermeasure responses across multiple defensive subsystems.
Beyond missile warning, the system provides hostile fire indication, including detection of small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, while supporting data recording for post-mission analysis. Its modular software architecture enables continuous updates to threat detection algorithms as new missile and hostile-fire profiles emerge, ensuring sustained effectiveness against evolving threats.
