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Bird Aerosystems has secured a contract to supply self-defence equipment for a helicopter upgrade in the Asia-Pacific region. The contract, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, includes the provision of SPREOS DIRCM (directed infrared countermeasures) to an undisclosed customer.

Bird will collaborate with a local defence company to enable knowledge transfer and local production of a tailored DIRCM system. The project aims to modernize national helicopters and enhance the SPREOS DIRCM's position as a protection solution for critical helicopter platforms, notably the Mi-17.

Cirium reports 361 Mi-17s are in service in the region, with India being the largest operator. India is currently upgrading its Mi-17 fleet, including a recent INR22 billion ($265 million) contract for self-protection systems with Bharat Electronics, which includes technology transfer requirements for defense acquisitions.