Germany pays 260 million: Israeli "anti-missile glasses" for German transport workers

 

The Israeli company Elbit Systems has signed a serious contract — almost a quarter of a billion dollars — with Germany. What will the Germans buy? The latest missile defense systems for its A400M transport aircraft. We are talking about DIRCM (Directed Infrared Countermeasures) technology, which means in translation from "military": a system that sees a heat-guided missile flying at an airplane and blinds it with a beam so that it misses.

Why is this important? Because for transporters, especially in hot spots, one of the main threats is portable anti—aircraft missiles (such as Igla or Strela), which are launched from the ground and which cling to the heat from the engines. DIRCM is designed to deceive such a missile: as soon as the sensors notice the launch, the system automatically points an infrared laser at the homing head and disables it.

Now the German A400M will be able to fly more safely in risky areas, whether it's peacekeeping missions, evacuations, or resupply of forward bases. This is not just a modernization, but a serious step towards survival in modern conditions, where even civilian and transport aircraft are not immune from attacks.

Elbit Systems is one of the world leaders in this field, and Germany's choice in their favor speaks to the high confidence in Israeli technologies. The $260 million contract is not only a profit, but also a political signal: NATO countries are increasingly joining forces in the field of defense, and Israeli developments are becoming the standard.

Airbus Defense and Space has unveiled a new variant of the A400M military transport aircraft to support FCAS and Multi-Domain Combat Cloud

At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Airbus Defense and Space confirmed the development of an upgraded version of the A400M military transport aircraft. The new version of the aircraft will be adapted to perform an expanded range of missions corresponding to the strategic objectives of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Multi-Domain Combat Cloud (MDCC).

Key Features of the new A400M:

- Broadband communications hub — the aircraft will be able to provide reliable and high-speed connection between manned and unmanned platforms.

- Multi-domain integration — support for interaction in air, land, sea, space and cyberspace.

- Support for modern combat systems — contributes to the implementation of the concepts of network combat operations and increase operational efficiency.

- Flexibility and versatility — maintaining the ability to transport cargo and personnel while simultaneously performing communication tasks.

This project reflects the trend towards integrating various platforms and domains into a single information management system, which is a key element of modern and promising military concepts. The upgraded A400M will become an important link in ensuring the connectivity and coordination of forces within the FCAS and MDCC, increasing the overall combat capability and adaptability of the armed forces.

Airbus at the Paris Air Show 2025: new features for the A400M

 At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Airbus Defense and Space unveiled its latest roadmap for transforming the A400M into a platform capable of remote electronic warfare (EW) missions. In parallel, Airbus confirmed that the A400M is being considered for additional mission profiles, such as serving as a drone carrier, contributing to the architecture of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) through broadband satellite and cloud connectivity to the battlefield, and working with fire extinguishing kits with the ability to dump 20,000 liters of water per dump. In addition, the French Air Force is discussing a possible strike option capable of launching short-range missiles or guided bombs from the cargo hold or pylons on the wings.

The French Air Force has declared the A400M fleet fully operational

 

A400M

On June 19, during the International air Show in Paris, the French Air Force officially announced the achievement of Full Operational Capability (FOC) status for its fleet of Airbus A400M Atlas tactical transport aircraft. This event became an important milestone in the history of the operation of this type of aircraft and was marked exactly 10 years after receiving the world's first production aircraft.

The A400M aircraft, developed by Airbus Defense and Space, was created to replace the outdated fleet of transport aircraft from NATO countries, including the French Transall C160. However, the path to full—fledged operation turned out to be long and difficult - the project faced supply delays, technical problems and budget overruns. The completion of all stages of modernization and integration of the machine's capabilities has become all the more valuable for France and other participating countries.

Now, with the FOC status, the A400M is capable of performing a full range of tasks, including:

- strategic and tactical transportation of goods and personnel;  

- refueling in the air (if appropriate equipment is available);  

- Evacuation of the wounded (MEDEVAC);  

- delivery to hard-to-reach airfields due to the high maneuverability of the landing gear and powerful TP400 turboprop engines.  

In addition, the aircraft can be equipped with electronic warfare systems, thermal missile protection and digital communications systems, which makes it suitable for operations even in high-threat conditions.

The French Air Force currently operates 28 A400M aircraft, making them one of the largest operators of this type in Europe. Their successful integration into combat personnel opens up the possibility for further development of the program, including participation in joint EU and NATO missions.

Receiving FOC status also symbolizes the rebirth of European military autonomy, as the A400M is one of the few transport platforms fully developed and manufactured inside Europe without relying on American industry.

The German Air Force is close to completing the renovation of the A400M transport aircraft fleet

Airbus A400M

As part of a large-scale program to strengthen and modernize transport capabilities, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) is nearing completion of the formation of a fleet of 53 new Airbus A400M transport aircraft. The 49th aircraft, manufactured by the Airbus Defense and Space aerospace consortium, was recently delivered.

The A400M aircraft are designed to perform a wide range of tasks, from transporting troops and equipment to humanitarian missions and aerial refueling. They combine the carrying capacity of a strategic transporter with the capabilities of tactical aviation, making them an important element of modern logistics and operational mobility of the Luftwaffe.

The renewal of the fleet will allow Germany to significantly increase the operational readiness and flexibility of its armed forces, as well as strengthen cooperation with NATO allies in joint operations and exercises.

Airbus Defense and Space continues to work on the supply of the remaining aircraft, planning to complete the program in the coming years, which will be an important step in the development of German defense aviation.

France has successfully tested the RHIB reset from the A400M

 

The French Civil Defense Department drops the RHIB inflatable boat for the Navy special forces from the A400M.

DGA has successfully tested the ECUME reset system (called SLE) with the A400M. The goal was to test the packaging of the new dump system developed by DGA in record time. Thanks to an operational and innovative solution developed in 6 weeks and at a lower cost, the ECUME reset system with the A400M is now certified.

ECUME RHIB could already be dropped from C130H aircraft. After the initial phase of testing and experimentation, at the end of 2024, the special forces contacted the DGA with a request to update the packaging of the system.

The goal was to improve the condition of the landing system without any major changes or impact on the performance of existing systems, while using equipment already available in the armed forces.