New Israeli system protects planes from missile attack

[Nevski]

Elbit successfully tests Directed Infrared Countermeasure, which protects planes from MANPAD ground-to-air heat seeking missiles.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/203810

Israeli defense electronics developer Elbit Systems has successfully completed a trial of its protection system against shoulder launched missiles.

Elbit systems' MUSIC family of Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) systems, integrated with the advanced Passive Airborne Warning System (PAWS) IR based missile warning system, was successfully demonstrated on an Airbus C295 aircraft, it was reported Monday.

The demonstration took place in October, during a flight test at a Bundeswehr test site in Meppen, Germany.

During the tests, conducted by a multi-national NATO team, a C295 aircraft with an operationally installed Elbit EW self-protection suite, consisting of the DIRCM system and the PAWS, "successfully demonstrated the capability to detect, acquire, track and jam the trial test equipment on the ground, under extreme conditions," according to the report.

The initial assessment of the results indicated that the system has the capability to successfully jam MANPADS (infra- red, ground to air heat seeking Man-Portable Missiles) from the first, second and third generation, using generic NATO jam codes.

The demonstration was a joint project of Elbit Systems and Airbus Defense & Space (Spain). It was widely supported by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the Spanish Air Force and NAFAG ACG3 SG/2 (NATO Air Forces Armaments Group, Air Capability Group 3, Sub Group 2), which is the NATO group responsible for the development and validation of air platform protection solutions.

The MUSIC family of DIRCM systems has been extensively and successfully tested by various countries and are in full scale production for numerous customers around the world, including Germany, Italy, Brazil Israel and others. They are operational on military, VIP and commercial helicopters and other fixed-wing aircraft.

Elbit Systems is currently under contract to supply more than 110 DIRCM systems to over ten customers, for installation on 20 different fixed and rotary-wing platform types.