The German Air Force will equip its C-130J transport fleet with Leonardo’s Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system, following a competitive selection process led by Lockheed Martin.
The contract covers integration on six Luftwaffe aircraft, including both the C-130J-30 and KC-130J tankers that form part of the Franco-German Binational Air Transport Squadron (BATS) based in Évreux, France.
Designed to defeat heat-seeking missile threats by targeting their infrared seeker heads with high-powered laser energy, Miysis DIRCM has been selected to address Germany’s requirements for low-level tactical airlift in high-threat environments.
The system is already in use with NATO and Middle Eastern operators, and Leonardo highlights its success at a recent NATO trial at Sweden’s Vidsel Test Range, where Miysis was the only system to “successfully defeat a range of infrared heat-seeking missiles being fired simultaneously.”
Miysis is considered a step change in survivability technology, offering a faster, more persistent defence than traditional flare-based systems. As Leonardo notes, Miysis is “not limited by cartridge capacity,” providing 360-degree continuous protection.
The system will be integrated by Lockheed Martin, the original equipment manufacturer of the Super Hercules. The Franco-German BATS unit operates in austere environments where Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) are a persistent danger to slow-flying aircraft. According to Leonardo, “losing an aircraft and the people on board is not an option.”
Miysis is already protecting aircraft made by Bombardier, Airbus, Dassault and Textron, and has been fitted to platforms such as the RAF’s A400M and Shadow R2. A Middle Eastern customer recently selected the system for their A330 VVIP transport, and Leonardo emphasises that Miysis is “readily exportable and ITAR free.”
With its expansion to the C-130J, Leonardo’s DIRCM capability now covers one of the most globally deployed tactical airlift platforms in service.
UK don’t need any of these for it’s C130s as they have gone.
Saved some money there.