Northrop to Provide U.S. Army with Illumination Flares

Northrop Grumman will produce illuminating flares for General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) that will be used for the U.S. Army’s Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions’ (TAGM) unguided Hydra-70 Rocket program.

The flares will provide greater tactical battlefield illumination in both the visible and infrared spectra.

The five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract award is valued at up to $80 million and is for production of the M257 visible spectrum flare, the M278 infrared spectrum illuminating flare and the newly designed M278A1 infrared spectrum illuminating flare.

Hydra-70 illuminating flares can be fired from a variety of rotary and fixed-wing platforms, including the U.S. Army Apache and U.S. Marine Corps Cobra attack helicopters, as well as the U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon.