BAE Submits Proposal For US Army’s Infrared Countermeasure Program

BAE Systems announced Monday that it has submitted its proposal for the U.S. Army’s Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) program.

CIRCM is a lightweight, low-cost, and modular laser-based aircraft protection system, designed to protect U.S. rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft from infrared guided missiles. 

Bill Staib, director of Threat Management Solutions at BAE Systems said, “We are leveraging the company’s extensive expertise to submit a proposal for a next-generation aircraft survivability solution, which would protect U.S. military aircraft and troops from existing and evolving infrared-guided threats.”

CIRCM is designed to be part of a suite of infrared countermeasures that also includes a missile warning system and a dispenser for flares. The Army’s current missile warning system is BAE Systems’ Common Missile Warning System (CMWS), which is responsible for detecting and declaring an infrared threat. Both CIRCM and the dispenser receive the handoff from CMWS and provide appropriate countermeasures to defeat the threat.

BAE Systems’ CIRCM offering has been tested and evaluated in the company’s Worrell/Weeks Aircrew Protection Center. The facility enables rigorous analysis and integration of aircraft survivability equipment in an operationally representative environment.

The Army plans to award a 26-month contract for the engineering, manufacturing, development, and delivery of 21 CIRCM systems early next year.