Elbit Systems will supply an additional J- MUSICâ„¢ DIRCM (Direct Infrared Countermeasures) self-protection system to the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF). This time for the ninth Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft, the last addition of the fleet, to be equipped with Elbit Systems’ J-MUSIC DIRCM system. The J-MUSIC DIRCM systems that are being delivered to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) are designed in open architecture, integrating the latest laser technology together with a high frame-rate thermal camera and a small, dynamic high-speed sealed-mirror turret thus delivering high performance defense against Infra-Red missile threats.
Elbit Systems’ Directed IR Countermeasures (DIRCM) solutions are designed to protect aircraft against heat-seeking ground-to-air missiles. These systems integrate advanced fiber laser technology together with a high frame rate thermal camera and a small, highly dynamic mirror turret. Having accumulated more than 300,000 operational flight hours and tested in live fire, Elbit Systems’ family of DIRCM systems are in use by a range of customers onboard more than 25 aircraft types, among them Boeings B747, B737, B757, B767, B777; Airbus A320, A330, A340, A400; Lockheed Martin C130J; Alenia C27J; Leonardo CSAR AW101; EMBRAER KC-390, Gulfstream 650 and more.
The J-MUSIC is a multi-turret DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter Measure) system designed to provide 360-degree protection against infrared-guided missiles. The J-MUSIC combines three Elbit Systems MUSIC (Multi-Spectral Infrared Countermeasure) systems to protect large military and commercial aircraft against attacks by infrared missiles. In 2014, Elbit Systems completed extensive testing and delivered the first systems to equip several aircraft. The J-MUSIC is intended primarily to counter man-portable surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS). The MUSIC technology is based on Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) for the missile’s tracking and laser jamming to blind the missile’s infrared seeker.
The MMF program is a multinational pooling and sharing initiative. The fleet will consist of nine Multi-role tanker transport aircraft able to provide strategic transport, air-to-air refueling and medical evacuation capabilities to its six participating nations (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Norway). The aircraft are owned by NATO and managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) with the support of the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on the acquisition phase until the end of 2022. The Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit operates the fleet.
