Tel Aviv: Israeli company Elbit Systems was awarded a contract worth approximately $260 million by Airbus Defence and Space 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).
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-defence systems (MANPADS). 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 characterised 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’ DIRCM solutions have been deployed operationally on a wide range of military and commercial aircraft globally. Customers include governments, air forces and defence 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.
Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, stated,“This contract further strengthens Elbit Systems’ position as a leading global provider of DIRCM solutions. Our systems are already trusted by numerous air forces and defense organisations 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.”
According to a report in the website of the arms control association, despite the global campaign to counter the illicit proliferation of Man Portable Air defence systems (MANPADS ), the Small Arms Survey has identified reports of illicit MANPADS in over 32 countries and territories since 2011. These reports include the imagery of dozens of advanced systems acquired by non-state actors including Russian proxies in Ukraine prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion and ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. Although the vast majority of MANPADS are in national stockpiles, terrorists and other non-state actors have acquired the anti-aircraft missiles through deliberate transfers, the black market, or theft.
Israel was confronted with the threat of MANAPDS in 2002 when two such rockets were launched in the direction of an Israeli passenger aircraft that took off from Mombasa in Kenya. The rockets missed the aircraft and it continued its flight and landed safely in Tel Aviv. Following this incident, the Israel ministry of defence asked the defence industry to find a solution to the threat. The first system was based on dispensing decoy flares but soon it was followed by a more advanced one.
The Elbit Systems MUSIC protection systems was the first operational system that was installed on Israeli passengers aircraft of the Israeli airlines.
The Directed Infra-Red Counter Measure (DIRCM) systems developed by Elbit Systems are made to defend aircraft from ground-to-air missiles that home on the heat of the aircraft’s engines. The different versions of the Elbit MUSIC systems combines a compact, extremely dynamic mirror turret, a high frame rate thermal camera, and cutting edge laser technology.
According to the Israeli company, this innovative combination provides efficient, dependable, and reasonably priced protection for all kinds of aircraft under all operating conditions. Elbit says that the systems can be easily linked with any kind of MWS (missile warning system) and other defensive aids on any kind of aircraft.
The Israeli government has chosen Elbit Systems’ DIRCM systems to safeguard Israeli commercial airliners; the Israeli Air Force has chosen them to safeguard military platforms; NATO has chosen them to safeguard the multi-national A330 MRTT fleet program and now the German Air Force has chosen them to safeguard the A400M.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
