The new fleet of tankers Airbus Royal Air Force A330 MRTT Canadian (RCAF) will be equipped with self-protection systems from Elbit Systems. The Israeli company was awarded a contract to provide Infrared Missile Warning (IR MWS) and Direct Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) systems.
According to the company, the contract will be executed over a period of five years and requires Elbit to install the systems on Canadian A330s.
“Airbus Defense and Space’s decision to continue equipping A330 MRTT aircraft with our advanced defense solutions validates the quality and market-leading technology of our solutions”, said Oren Sabag, general manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR and EW. “Our DIRCM Self-Protection Suite will provide the customer with advanced defensive solutions to reinforce the safety and operational advantage of platforms and crew.”
According to Elbit, theDIRCM laser protection systems have accumulated hundreds of thousands of flight hours on dozens of platforms and provide advanced defensive technology solutions for aircraft operating on modern battlefields.
The RCAF acquired a total of nine A330 MRTTs, locally designated CC-330 Husky, to replace the aging CC-150 Polaris (Airbus A310). The contract valued at US$3,6 billion includes the purchase of four new planes from the factory and the conversion of another five used A330-200s, work carried out at Airbus facilities in Getafe, Spain.
