What component of the Defensive Electronic Warfare System (DEWS) detects emissions from a missile after launch?

The Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) is specifically designed to detect incoming missile threats by sensing their emissions after launch. It typically employs infrared or other types of sensors to monitor for the heat signatures or electromagnetic emissions characteristic of launched missiles. By identifying these signatures, MAWS can provide timely alerts to the platform it protects, allowing for potential evasive actions or countermeasures to be deployed.

The other components serve different functions: the Countermeasure Dispensing System (CMDS) is primarily responsible for deploying flares or chaff to confuse incoming threats, while the Laser Warning Receiver (LWR) detects laser targeting signals, and the Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) monitors for radar emissions from adversarial systems. Each of these systems contributes to the overall electronic warfare strategy, but the specific role of detecting missile emissions post-launch is uniquely fulfilled by the MAWS.