Airbus has won a contract from the German procurement agency Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) to outfit 23 Luftwaffe A400M with DIRCM protection systems.
DIRCM stands for “Directed Infrared Counter Measures” and will protect the military transport aircraft from missiles with infrared sensors. As part of the newly signed contract, the company will also provide services such as training, service bulletins and tools.
“Troop transport, equipment and humanitarian supplies; refuelling other aircraft and helicopters in flight; use as a flying hospital for treating wounded personnel: the Airbus A400M is the face and workhorse of the Luftwaffe,” said Gerd Weber, head of the A400M program at Airbus Defence and Space. “The new DIRCM system will provide A400M crews with even greater protection during their worldwide missions and will expand the already wide range of applications of this exceptional aircraft”.
The Airbus teams will install the Elbit Systems’ DIRCM protection system on a total of 23 aircraft during scheduled maintenance at Airbus in Manching, southern Germany, and Getafe and Seville, Spain.
These 23 aircraft are used for tactical operations, including medical evacuation missions in crisis areas. Conversely, the logistic variant of the A400M is used for standard operations such as long-distance transport of troops, heavy armoured vehicles, helicopters or specialized civil engineering equipment.
Airbus is currently testing the DIRCM system in Seville, Spain, on a Luftwaffe A400M. Certification is expected for the summer of 2025, with installation on the 23 A400M by 2023.
Source and photo credit @Airbus Defence & Space
