Entire U.S. Army Helicopter Fleet to Be Equipped with CIRCM Laser Systems

The U.S. Army has awarded a $4.8 billion contract to Northrop Grumman for the mass production of CIRCM laser defense systems for helicopters.

The agreement calls for the delivery and maintenance of onboard systems designed to counter infrared-guided missiles through 2035, according to Task & Purpose.

The systems will be used to equip the entire U.S. Army helicopter fleet, including the Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook, as well as the future MV-75 FLRAA aircraft.

The Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) system is designed to protect aircraft from man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), such as the Stinger.

The system works by detecting a launch via warning sensors, tracking the missile, and blinding its optical seeker with a laser beam, which disrupts its guidance.

Northrop Grumman representatives reported that CIRCM systems have already been installed on more than 550 Army helicopters, and a total of over 700 units of this equipment have been delivered to the customer.

The new system will replace the outdated ATIRCM system, which was used for over 16 years during military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The main advantage of the CIRCM is a significant reduction in equipment weight: while the old system for the Chinook helicopter weighed 72.5 kg, the new system weighs only 22.6 kg.
Aviation experts note that laser countermeasures are more effective than traditional thermal decoys because they can be deployed an unlimited number of times during flight.

In addition, the laser system’s automatic response takes less than half a second, which is much faster than a pilot manually firing decoys.

Alongside the Army, the U.S. Air Force is also procuring similar infrared countermeasure systems to equip its HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopters.

In the U.S., an H-60M Black Hawk helicopter deployed a group of Altius-700 drones, which autonomously detected targets, exchanged data with one another, and engaged them.