British Laser Self-Protection System for A400M Airlifter, Shadow R2 Spy Plane Clears Trials

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is one step closer to outfitting its aircrews with a laser self-protection system after live-fire trials neutralized multiple infrared heat-seeking missiles simultaneously.

The trials, deemed 100% successful, were conducted at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden. This laser system is expected to be installed on a variety of RAF aircraft, including the Shadow R2 intelligence-gathering plane and the A400M Atlas transporter.

The system, developed by Team Pellonia—a collaboration between Leonardo UK, Thales UK, and the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)—works by detecting, identifying, and neutralizing missile threats in seconds. Thales' Elix-IR threat warning system identifies missile launches using algorithms to filter background noise. Once a threat is detected, Leonardo's Miysis directed infrared countermeasure uses a laser to jam the incoming missile.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), this technology allows threats to be neutralized faster than it takes to read a single sentence. The system has been specifically designed to protect RAF personnel in hostile environments by providing rapid response and accurate missile defense.