Northrop Grumman to build more combat-proven infrared countermeasure systems

Aviation Defense News July 2021 aerospace air force industry
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Northrop Grumman will install more life-saving Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) systems on U.S. and international fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft under a $146 million order from the U.S. Air Force.

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Northrop Grumman to build more combat proven infrared countermeasure systems Crucial to keeping aircrews safe, LAIRCM automatically detects emerging missile threats and uses a high-intensity, laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat missiles (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)

The award is part of an existing indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to Northrop Grumman for LAIRCM upgrades, modifications and installations on a wide range of aircraft, including the C-17, C-5, C-130J, P-8, CH-53K, KC-46 and platforms operated by international customers.

“Northrop Grumman has been protecting U.S. Air Force platforms from missile threats for more than 25 years,” said Bob Gough, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering advanced aircraft survivability systems that help ensure aircrews make it home safely.”

Northrop Grumman’s family of countermeasure systems such as LAIRCM and the new Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system are installed on more than 1,500 aircraft of 85 different types, providing spherical protection by detecting, tracking and jamming incoming infrared threats. The most advanced aircraft survivability equipment available, it defeats threats by directing a high-intensity laser beam into the eye of the fast-moving missile’s infrared seeker.

Using a range of industry best practices to achieve agility, Northrop Grumman leverages its years of infrared countermeasure expertise in a modern, modularized agile framework to continue providing capable and adaptable LAIRCM systems to the U.S. Air Force.

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.