Leonardo’s Miysis DIRCM competitively selected to protect German Air Force C-130J aircraft from heat-seeking threats

10 July 2025

Leonardo’s Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system has been chosen to protect a fleet of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). After competitive selection by Lockheed Martin based on the Luftwaffe’s comprehensive requirements, six German aircraft will be equipped with Miysis DIRCM, with the contract including integration of the countermeasure systems by the prime.

Platform agnostic and in operation with NATO and Middle Eastern customers, Miysis DIRCM has been proven 100% effective in live trials over the last decade. Most recently, at a NATO trial at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden, Miysis was the only system to successfully defeat a range of infrared heat-seeking missiles being fired simultaneously. Miysis works by blinding heat-seeking missiles with high-powered laser energy, overwhelming the seeker heads and preventing them from locking onto their target.

Miysis DIRCM will protect the Luftwaffe’s fleet of KC-130J and C-130J-30 aircraft as part of the Binational Air Transport C-130J Squadron (BATS). The Franco-German Squadron is tasked with logistical and tactical transport missions, flying low and slow in austere environments where Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) are a prolific and credible threat. Miysis DIRCM will now offer the German C-130J aircraft within the joint fleet unparalleled protection against these infrared missile threats, in tactical situations where losing an aircraft and the people on board is not an option.

Miysis DIRCM defeats threats faster than the time it takes to read this sentence. Unlike traditional countermeasures such as flares, Miysis is not limited by cartridge capacity, offering continuous 360° protection against threats new and old. It is readily exportable and ITAR free.

In operation now on aircraft around the world, Miysis DIRCM is protecting VVIP and military aircraft from manufacturers including Bombardier, Airbus, Dassault and Textron. Miysis has been designed to equip a range of Royal Air Force aircraft including the A400M and Shadow R2. Most recently, a Middle Eastern government customer ordered Miysis DIRCM to protect their Airbus A330 VVIP transport. With integration to the C-130J Super Hercules, this capability is now expanded to one of the most widely used and proven tactical airlifters in operation today.


Miysis DIRCM

Leonardo's Miysis Direct Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) is the world’s most advanced operational DIRCM system, providing high power, all-aspect protection against the threats posed by modern, advanced Infrared Man Portable Air Defence Systems (IR MANPADS).

Miysis DIRCM