Elbit Systems was awarded a contract worth approximately $260 million by Airbus Defence and Space ("Airbus DS") to supply its J-MUSIC™ Directed Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) self-protection systems for installation on the German Air Force A400M transport aircraft.
The contract, to be executed over a 6-year period, follows a procurement decision by the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Operations of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw).
“This contract further strengthens Elbit Systems’ position as a leading global provider of DIRCM solutions,” said Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, adding that “our systems are already trusted by numerous air forces and defense organizations around the world, and we are proud to support Germany in enhancing the protection of their strategic air assets.
"Our successful collaboration with Airbus DS on this important program is highly valued, and we are pleased that our advanced self-protection systems will contribute to the safety and operational readiness of the German A400M fleet.”
The J-MUSIC™ DIRCM system is part of Elbit Systems’ MUSIC™ family of airborne self-protection solutions, designed to defend aircraft against infrared-guided missile threats, particularly those launched from man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).
The contract with Germany comes at a time when Western military forces, especially in Europe, are strengthening their military forces, with a priority on air defense capabilities as adversaries are flooding battlefields with low-cost but sometimes highly precise weapons.
The distribution of shoulder-fired missiles and drones across the globe is extensive, and these weapons, which are in the inventory of regular military forces, have also found their way into the hands of many organizations, such as drug cartels, criminal networks, and terror groups, that pose a threat with such capabilities. MANPADS and drones are not the only threats against aerial platforms heading into complex and dense threat environments. Several aircraft losses were also caused by radar-based and laser-based threats.
1 million MANPADS to exist, found among terror groups, drug cartels
There are approximately 1 million MANPADS believed to be in existence, according to a 2017 US State Department report. Found in the hands of terror groups, drug cartels, and other hostile actors, MANPADS pose a serious risk to aircraft as they are highly proliferated, easy to conceal, and hard to detect up to the moment the missile is launched towards its target, which can hit within a few seconds.
The Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) system employs an advanced electro-optic turret and laser technology to disrupt or jam the missile's tracking ability by optically breaking its lock on the target. This interference aims to prevent the missile from maintaining its course toward the aircraft-thereby protecting everyone on board.
According to the Israeli defense company, the integration of advanced laser technology with high-performance imaging systems enables the system to detect, track, and disrupt incoming missile threats in real time, providing autonomous protection without requiring crew intervention. The system is characterized by its modular and scalable architecture, allowing for integration with a wide range of aircraft platforms and missile warning systems. Its compact form factor ensures minimal impact on aircraft performance and payload capacity.
Elbit Systems is one of the only companies that is internationally certified to have its DIRCM systems installed on operational commercial airlines. The systems have accumulated over 500,000 flight hours. The systems are ITAR-free and operational on almost every continent, with a strong presence in Europe. With an open architecture and flexible approach to accept the needs of each client, Elbit's MUSIC systems are one of the most requested DIRCM systems in the world.
The company’s DIRCM solutions have been deployed operationally on a wide range of military and commercial aircraft globally. Customers include governments, air forces, and defense ministries from countries such as Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Brazil. The system has also been selected by several leading aircraft manufacturers (OEMs) as their preferred DIRCM solution for integration into new and retrofit platforms.