Hensoldt delivers 200th MUSS equipment set

Hensoldt has delivered the 200th equipment set for the Multifunctional Self-protection System (MUSS), which is to be integrated into the German Army’s new Puma infantry fighting vehicle, the company announced on 11 July.

Hensoldt is under contract to deliver approximately 350 MUSS equipment sets to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall.

MUSS is a soft-kill active protection system designed to reduce the possibility of a vehicle hit by anti-tank guided missiles or laser-guided ammunition. The system defeats threats before they strike the vehicle, providing a ‘soft’ response based on jamming or obscuration of the guidance mechanism with no risk of collateral damage.

Each MUSS system consists of four warning sensors: a central unit, an infrared jammer head, jammer electronics and a novel alignable smoke grenade launcher. The warning sensors detect approaching missiles and laser beams aimed at the vehicle, and the central unit activates an infrared jammer, which interferes with missile's guidance system, and initiates the use of pyrotechnic countermeasures.

MUSS has no significant influence on vehicle radiation as it features only passive sensors and an infrared jammer with short activation time, not detectable either in the visible or thermal image spectrum.