Photos of a special-purpose Tu-214 airliner with the LSZ-100 laser self-defense system have appeared online. This was noted by analysts from the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (AST).
The LSZ-100 complex belongs to the DIRCM class and is designed to protect large airliners from missiles with infrared homing heads.
When a threat is detected by sensors, the turret instantly directs a laser beam at the approaching munition's objective, knocking it off course.
LSZ-100 complexes are produced at the Samara enterprise "Ekran"; it is the only manufacturer of such equipment in Russia. It is known that in 2017, the Voronezh Aircraft Plant ordered a contract for the supply of systems for the presidential aircraft Il-96-300 (PU).
"Pervyy Tekhnicheskiy" reported in a large article on which aircraft the first persons of the state fly. Spoiler - there are no new MS-21-310s in the fleet yet.