Nemesis Countermeasures for Australian Multi Role Tanker Transport Aircraft

Released on Monday, March 14, 2005

Northrop-Grumman has announced that its Nemesis laser-based directional Infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system has been selected to outfit Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)'s Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.

Nemesis DIRCMs deliveries to Spain's EADS CASA of are expected to begin in January 2007 under a $24 million contract. EADS CASA will take the charge to install these systems on Australian Airbus A330 MRTTs. Nemesis systems are specially suited to counter heat-seeking missiles using a laser jamming device which blinds the incoming missile seeker through infrared laser energy. Thus, DIRCM protects both the aircraft and its crew.

Currently, the Nemesis fully automatic protection system is in production for the armed forces of Australia, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States of America installed over 20 different rotary-wing and fixed-wing platforms. Several hundred aircraft are expected to receive Nemesis countermeasures in the armed forces of the noted countries.

Australia already selected Nemesis infrared missile protection system for its planned fleet of Project Wedgetail Boeing 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. RAAF will take delivery of five A330 MRTTs replacing aging Boeing 707 refueling tankers to perform air refueling in support of F/A-18, F-111, Wedgetail and F-35 JSF aircraft. In addition to the air-to-air refueling capability, MRTTs will provide troops, fuel and cargo transport capability which is not available for Boeing 707.