Leonardo will supply its Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) for a new VVIP transport aircraft destined for a government customer in the Middle East. The Miysis will be integrated on a Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft, the first of its kind to be selected for this particular use. The DIRCM will guarantee complete protection to the aircraft and, a unique feature for a system of this category, will be able to emit more than enough laser energy to protect the Global 7500 from the most modern infrared-guided missile threats.
The aircraft is expected to enter service in 2022. The Miysis can also be installed on other aircraft of Bombardier's Challenger and Global families.
The countermeasure works by aiming a high-energy laser at the targeting system of an oncoming missile, "blinding" it and moving it away from the aircraft. Leonardo's experience in the field of lasers and precision targeting means that this happens at the speed of light. Unlike competing products, the Miysis DIRCM can defend against multiple incoming missiles at the same time and against latest generation infrared threats (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems - MANPADS). As required for such systems, Miysis has been independently verified with international customers who have conducted live analysis and testing to achieve a 100% success rate.
This contract, which will see the use of the Mysis to protect VVIP passengers, demonstrates the confidence of customers in this capability, based on the success of the system, acquired by the United Kingdom for the Shadow R1 surveillance aircraft, by Canada for its aircraft from maritime patrol CP-140 Aurora and three NATO countries, as well as other non-NATO customers.
Thanks to Leonardo's decades of experience in this field, the Miysis is the smallest, lightest and least energy-hungry DIRCM on the market. Its fully synchronized multi-head operation guarantees spherical protection around the aircraft, even if the threat passes from one hemisphere to another. The Miysis is available for a wide range of aircraft, providing more than enough power for a large business jet or transport aircraft and is compact enough for a light helicopter. The countermeasure can be operated autonomously, associated with a missile alert system, or it can be integrated with other defensive suites.
