Turkish company integrates anti-missile system into military aircraft

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) has integrated an anti-missile system into the A400M aircraft, Yeni Shafak has reported.

The Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) anti-missile system will detect and destroy the missiles directed to the aircraft in the sky, the report added.

“We have integrated a new system infrastructure into the A400M. Thanks to the integration of the structural parts of the Directed Infrared Counter Measure system, incoming missiles will be detected through the missile warning unit,” TUSAS General Manager Temel Kotil said.

He highlighted that TUSAS manages the production and delivery processes of 405 detail and sub-assembly parts for the DIRCM project.

The system, which provides 360-degree protection to the aircraft with the integrated DIRCM hardware, will be able to detect multiple missiles at the same time with its multi-target capability. The A400M can be destroyed by detecting missiles directed at the aircraft, Kotil said.

"We continue to contribute to the aviation capabilities of our country by integrating the infrastructure of a new generation technology into the A400M aircraft for the first time. We continue our flawless production and delivery processes in the A400M program, which is among the largest aircraft in the world. I congratulate my colleagues who contributed," Kotil stressed.

He added that TUSAS with its over 7 percent business share in the A400M program, had produced overall 135 aircraft sets out of 176 within the project and had delivered them to the Airbus Defence and Space company.

Furthermore, it was noted that Turkey, as a production partner, will carry out the maintenance of A400M aircraft in Kayseri. By late 2021, Turkey will be the only country that can apply the maintenance-repair-improvement process to other A400Ms in the world along with the Airbus Company.