Northrop Grumman secures CIRCM system production contract

The U.S. Army awarded this week Northrop Grumman Corporation a five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $959.1 million for full-rate production of the Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system.

“CIRCM’s cutting-edge capability has been proven against the most advanced threats, and the modular open systems approach brings flexibility for the future,” Bob Gough, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman, said. “Northrop Grumman and our partners have proven the mature production capacity to deliver and support the U.S. Army’s mission with this life-saving technology today and for years to come.”

The CIRCM system is built on open architecture, working with existing hardware and simplifying upgrades while keeping lifecycle costs low.

Additionally, the CIRCM system also meets size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements, offering industry leading capability for varied restrictive platforms for the United States and its allies.

Northrop Grumman’s infrared countermeasure systems have been installed on more than 1,500 aircraft, representing over 80 different aircraft types, including large and small fixed-wing, rotary wing, and tilt-rotor platforms.

According to Northrop Grumman, the CIRCM system protects against shoulder-fired and vehicle-launched anti-aircraft missiles homing in on an aircraft’s heat signature. The system’s ability to track and rapidly defeat infrared-guided threats has been validated through rigorous testing in laboratory, flight, and live-fire test environments.