Aircrew Escape Systems

Safety and reliability are key features of all the Chemring Energetics UK Ltd (CEUK) products, but there is one product range on which a pilot depends, literally, for his or her life.

CEUK has a unique capability in the UK as the only producer of a range of critical components in crew escape systems for military aircraft, whether trainer aircraft or fast jets.  This includes precision-designed canopy cutting cords, which, in conjunction with a CEUK designed and manufactured detonator, form the key elements of a system designed to safely and reliably cut the canopy material to allow the crew to eject to safety in an emergency.

Thanks to CEUK’s modern new facility at Ardeer, it has complete capability to design, manufacture and test this range of products in-house.  The products equip a range of military aircraft, including Tornado and Hawk.

“There is no second opportunity and no room for failure” explains Ian McIntosh, CEUK Head of Engineering and Technology, “these products have to function and achieve the desired performance on demand every time.  Our design, manufacture and test processes are geared to provide the safety and reliability that our customers demand.

In addition to the normal ISO 9001 accreditation for the quality management system, these products are also covered by additional independent airworthiness certifications.

These rigorous standards of product safety and reliability are also applied to other sister products produced in the facility, which include disruptive and non-disruptive detonating transmission cords for insensitive munition warhead initiation systems and complex weapon flight termination applications.

“This is a unique capability, and we are always looking for innovative ways to work with customers to exploit the technology.  Recent innovations include the potential use of the product capability for explosive method of entry (EMOE) applications”

Images show selective detonation of twin seat Hawk trainer aircraft’s rear canopy taken from a high speed video of trial conducted at Chemring Energetics, Ardeer.