French President Macron’s Plane Protected by Israeli Anti-Missile System
by Benjamin Kerstein
The attention of the Israeli media was captured on Wednesday when French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on camera yelling at Israeli security guards at the entrance of a church in the Old City of Jerusalem, but according to a new report, Macron is actually dependent on an Israeli defense system.
According to a report published on Thursday by the Israeli news site Mako, Macron’s French Air Force plane — his equivalent of the famous US Air Force One — carries an advanced anti-missile system co-developed by the Israeli company Elbit Systems.
The Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) is a laser-based system that uses a beam to jam the homing systems of heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles.
It is one of the most advanced defense systems in the world and is currently being installed on the new plane set to become Israel’s Air Force One.
It is also used by the Italian and Brazilian Air Forces.