U.S. ARMY TO REACH NEW MILESTONE WITH MISSILE COUNTERMEASURES PROGRAM
WASHINGTON - The Army expects later this year to reach a Milestone B decision with its laser-based Common Infrared Countermeasures, or CIRCM defense system program. The CIRCM system, under development now by both BAE and Northrop Grumman, provides a light-weight, laser-based countermeasure against man-portable air defense systems, which are missiles launched from the ground at their targets - including Army and Navy aircraft.
"My No. 1 priority as a project manager is to protect our Soldiers' lives -- in this case, aviators and their passengers - against the current threats out there," said Col. Jong H. Lee, project manager for Aircraft Survivability Equipment. "The Common Infrared Countermeasures program is going to do that. It will increase protection of our service members against ever-evolving threats."
It is expected that the CIRCM system will begin fielding in Fiscal Year 2019 to both the Army and the Navy, and will be used aboard helicopters, tilt-rotor aircraft, and small fixed-wing aircraft.
Included among those aircraft are the AH-64 Apache and the UH-60 Black Hawk. Within the Department of the Navy -- a partner in the CIRCM program -- the AH-1 Cobra will receive the system, as will the MV-22 Osprey. In the future, Lee said, the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures system aboard the CH-47 Chinook will be replaced with the CIRCM as well.
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