Northrop/BAE offer helicopter countermeasures to the Army

Both Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems are offering competing proposals to the Army for the EMD phase of the common infrared countermeasures (CIRCM) competition. CIRCM is expected to join with BAE's common missile warning system (CMWS), which will send warning signals to the crew, and automatically deploy countermeasures. These will include lasers designed to blind an infrared seeker.

The Army is expected to award the contract early in 2015, to last 26 months, and deliver 21 units for testing.

Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems have submitted competing proposals for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of an effort to improve US Army helicopter defenses against guided missiles.

The companies are in the running to provide army rotorcraft with a common infrared countermeasure (CIRCM) system. CIRCM is envisioned as a laser-based aircraft protection suite to counter threats like man-portable air-defense (MANPAD) missiles, which have proliferated and become more capable in recent years. It will be lightweight, low-cost and modular to suit the army’s various helicopters.

BAE announced the submission of its proposal on 17 November.

www.flightglobal.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

I am intimately familiar with CMWS systems including the latest upgrade we got when we were still in Afghanistan. We've been waiting for this system for some time.

I expect to start receiving briefings on the new laser countermeasures within the next year.

a reply to: projectvxn

I say it's about time they get something like this.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: projectvxn

I say it's about time they get something like this.

This has been known about for some time now. We've been waiting for this system to come online for a year now.