€28 million EU anti-EMF interference project starts work

By Rob Coppinger

A four-year €28 million ($37 million) European Union project to reduce the risk to aircraft from electromagnetic interference will explore ways of enhancing computer-based modelling to identify potential interference by electromagnetic sources, natural or man-made, whether they are on or off-board.

Andrew Marvin, deputy head of the University of York department of electronics' and a participant in the High Intensity Radiated Field Synthetic Environment (HIRF-SE) programme, says: "This testing process and rectifying any problems that are discovered can prove very costly indeed. If potential risks can be identified in the early stages of their design that will improve safety and save manufacturers significant amounts of time and money."

York has been awarded a €1 million grant for its HIRF-SE work.

Alenia Aeronautica is leading HIRF-SE. Also involved are Aermacchi, AgustaWestland, BAE Systems, Dassault and Thales.

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