About two dozen German A400Ms will receive missile countermeasure upgrades to enhance survivability during tactical operations.
Airbus has secured a contract from the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to equip 23 Luftwaffe A400M Atlas aircraft with Directed Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) systems. The upgrade will significantly enhance the survivability of the tactical transport fleet against infrared-guided missile threats.
Under the agreement, Airbus will not only oversee the integration of the DIRCM systems, supplied by Elbit Systems, but will also provide associated services including training, tooling, and service bulletins.
“Transporting troops, equipment and humanitarian supplies; refuelling other aircraft and helicopters in the air; serving as a flying hospital for the treatment of wounded personnel – the Airbus A400M is the face and workhorse of the German Air Force,” said Gerd Weber, Head of the A400M Programme at Airbus Defence and Space. “The new DIRCM system will provide A400M crews with even greater protection during their missions around the world.”
DIRCM systems are designed to detect incoming infrared-guided missiles and counter them using directed energy to disrupt the missile’s seeker head. The system is already being tested in Seville, Spain, on a German Air Force A400M. Certification is expected by summer 2025, with full fleet retrofit planned to be completed by 2032.
The 23 aircraft selected for the upgrade are those assigned to tactical operations, including medical evacuation missions in crisis zones. Logistical variants used for standard long-range transport missions typically fly in less contested airspace and will not receive the DIRCM enhancement.
Germany originally placed an order for 60 A400Ms in 2003 as a replacement for the aging C-160 Transall. The final contract was later revised to 53 aircraft, with deliveries initially expected to begin in 2009. After multiple development delays, the first A400M was delivered to the Luftwaffe on Dec. 18, 2014. The C-160 was fully retired following the disbandment of Air Transport Wing 63 in 2021. Today, more than 40 A400Ms are operational with the German Air Force, all assigned to Air Transport Wing 62 at Wunstorf Air Base. The final aircraft is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2026.
The A400M is a four-engine turboprop tactical and strategic transport aircraft capable of carrying up to 116 personnel or heavy equipment. In addition to airlift duties, the platform can perform aerial refueling operations for fast jets such as the Eurofighter and Tornado, as well as helicopters. Germany was the first A400M operator to deploy the type in the aerial tanker role operationally, beginning in 2019. The aircraft can also be configured for aeromedical evacuation, with modular units capable of supporting intensive care patients in flight.
The DIRCM retrofit will be carried out during scheduled maintenance cycles at Airbus facilities in Manching, Getafe, and Seville.
