Israeli Defence Electronics Company Awarded Contract for Canadian Planes
On November 27, the Israeli defence electronics company Elbit Systems Ltd. was awarded a contract by Airbus Defense and Space to supply Canada's new fleet of military refueling and transport aircraft with the Direct Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) and Infrared (IR) Missile Warning Systems. The contract for installation on the Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) A330 refueling aircraft will be performed over a period of five years.
Elbit claims its DIRCM systems are designed "to protect aircraft against heat-seeking ground-to-air missiles," honing in on the radiation emitted by a target's heat source such as aircraft engines or exhaust. The DIRCM system detects, acquires, and tracks the missile from the moment it is launched and then emits a laser beam that jams the missile. The system "combines advanced laser technology with a high frame rate thermal imaging camera and a small, high dynamic range mirror turret," Elbit says.
In July, the Canadian government ordered four newly built Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft and five converted A330-200s to replace the aging CC-150 Polaris tankers "to strengthen the continental defence capabilities" of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The amount of the contract, signed between Elbit and Airbus Defense and Space, was not disclosed.
Oren Sabag, General Manager of Elbit Systems' ISTAR and EW, said: "The decision by Airbus Defense and Space to continue equipping the MRTT A330 aircraft with our advanced defence solutions validate the quality and market leading technology of our solutions. Our DIRCM Self Protection Suite will provide the customer with advanced defensive solutions to bolster the security and operational advantage of the platforms and crew."
Elbit is the largest supplier to the Israeli military, providing the vast majority of its drones, munitions, surveillance gear, precision missiles and parts for its tanks and jets. Elbit Systems UK Ltd. in Britain manufactures parts for Israel's killer drones, along with weapons sights, tank parts, and more, exporting these technologies to Israel in great volume yearly.
(European Defence Review, Xinhua)
This article was published in
Volume 53 Number 33 - December 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53334.HTM
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