Elbit Systems signs deal to supply helicopter EW suite to Asian customer

Elbit Systems announced on January 12, 2026, that it has signed contracts worth approximately $275 million to supply an advanced airborne self-protection electronic warfare suite, including its Direct Infra-Red Counter-Measure system, to an unnamed country in the Asia-Pacific region. The company said the work will be carried out over a five-year period.

According to Elbit Systems, the agreement covers a full defensive suite engineered to protect the customer’s helicopter fleet from missile threats and improve survivability in complex mission environments. As noted by the company, the solution integrates electronic sensing, signal processing, automated countermeasures, and early-warning functions into a single architecture tailored to the customer’s aircraft.

Elbit Systems stated that the package includes its Mini-MUSIC DIRCM system, a laser-based countermeasure designed for small and medium rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. The system is built to detect and disrupt incoming missiles using precision tracking and laser-jamming technologies. The company said Mini-MUSIC is based on “years of proven experience and hundreds of thousands of flight hours in military environments.”

In its announcement, Elbit Systems emphasized that the self-protection suite will be customized to meet the customer’s operational needs and aircraft configuration. The company noted that the systems provide real-time warning, threat identification, and automated response against a broad range of missile threats encountered across today’s combat environments.

The president and CEO of Elbit Systems, Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, said: “These contracts reflect the growing trust of our Asia-Pacific customers in Elbit Systems’ advanced, combat-proven self-protection solutions for helicopters. Our integrated EW and DIRCM systems provide highly advanced threat detection and countermeasure capabilities, enhancing aircraft survivability and operational effectiveness in complex mission environments. We are proud to continue strengthening our partnerships and supporting our customers’ evolving needs in this important region.”

The announcement adds to a series of recent Elbit agreements with customers in Europe and NATO countries for airborne self-protection systems. These contracts underscore a broader trend in military aviation toward equipping rotary-wing aircraft with modern electronic warfare and laser-based countermeasure technology as missile threats increase in both conventional and irregular conflict zones.

Elbit’s Mini-MUSIC system has been adopted by multiple international operators in recent years, and the company says its design allows for integration on a wide range of helicopter platforms. The system combines a multi-spectral infrared sensor, a laser turret, and a controller unit that manages threat analysis and the activation of countermeasures during flight. The company states that the system automates its responses to reduce pilot workload and increase survivability during high-stress missions.

The new five-year package for the Asia-Pacific customer represents one of the region’s latest long-term investments in rotorcraft survivability equipment. The company noted that the solution is intended to ensure “robust protection across complex combat environments,” specifically referencing the evolving threat landscape in which rotary-wing aircraft operate at low altitude and are more exposed to man-portable and ground-based missile systems.

Elbit Systems has expanded its market footprint across the Asia-Pacific in recent years as regional militaries invest in upgraded self-protection technologies, advanced sensors, and mission systems in response to shifting security challenges. The newly awarded contracts reinforce that trend and will position the customer to deploy helicopters with higher resilience against modern missile threats.