Northrop Grumman lands US Army helo protection programme

Marina Malenic, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
01 September 2015

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The Northrop Grumman CIRCM system was chosen by the US Army for further development and production options.

Source: Northrop Grumman

Key Points

• The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a USD35.3 million contract for CIRCM
• The company will continue EMD work and deliver 21 ship sets initially, but the army has options for additional purchases and production

The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a USD35.3 million contract with options for engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) and low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) programme, the Pentagon announced on 31 August.

CIRCM is a laser-based countermeasure system designed to work with missile warning systems. In addition to helicopters, it is intended for use on tilt-rotor and small fixed-wing aircraft. The technology is being developed to replace heavier, ageing systems such as the legacy BAE Systems Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM).

As the only infrared-jamming survivability suite planned for purchase by the army for its rotorcraft, the system could be used on both legacy and future fleets. It could also be employed for decades to come because of the ease with which it can be upgraded as threats evolve, Jeff Palombo, sector vice-president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems, told IHS Jane's on 1 September.

"The beauty of the system we proposed is the open architectures that enable us to mix and match capabilities from throughout industry," he said. Even when new rotorcraft are introduced into the army's fleet, "likely the heart of the system will remain the same but components will be replaced with new technologies", he added.

Palombo said his team will begin meeting with army officials this week to better understand the scope of the work under the current contract award, which focuses initially on EMD efforts such as environmental testing to guarantee high reliability of the final product. Northrop Grumman is also expected to deliver 21 CIRCM ship sets for the work.

Contract options through October 2017 include the purchase of various A-kits - cabling, electronics, and mechanical parts that attach the system to different rotorcraft types - as well as commencement LRIP, according to Palombo. "The government has the ability to exercise those options at any time," he explained.

Palombo added that pricing negotiations on the options are already in place. "It's strictly a matter of the government deciding to exercise options," he said.

The army has previously said that initial CIRCM work would centre on the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, followed by the Boeing AH-64 Apache. Palumbo said the company is prepared to offer A-kits for any type in the army's inventory.

Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems division facility in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, will conduct the work. Partners Selex ES of Edinborough, Scotland, and Daylight Solutions of San Diego, California, will make the dome-shaped pointer/tracker and the laser, respectively. Northrop Grumman then integrates those components with its processor and algorithms. Palombo said he anticipates the same arrangement to continue through LRIP, but Northrop Grumman has an agreement with both suppliers to co-produce at the Rolling Meadows facility if additional capacity is needed

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