AN/AAQ-24 DIRCM
Total Production: 200
AAQ-24(V) LAIRCM
IOC: 2005
Also Known As
AN/AAQ-24V(13)
Origin
United States of America
Contractor/s
Northrop Grumman
Applications
737 AEW&C
A330 MRTT
C-130J Super Hercules
C-17A Globemaster III
C-5 Galaxy
E-3 Sentry
Family Members
AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis
Sensors & Communications:
NexGenMWS
|
Description:
The LAIRCM (Large Aircraft IR CounterMeasures) has been developed to protect US large aircraft from IR guided man-portable surface-to-air missiles. It is a derivative of the proven AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis Directional IR CounterMeasure (DIRCM) system. LAIRCM uses missile warning system to detect and incoming missile, then the protection system directs a pointer-tracker to the missile's seeker jamming it with a IR laser energy beam.
The system is a fully autonomous system not requiring inputs coming from the aircraft crew. LAIRCM is being offered to the commercial aviation segment as a protection mechanism against any potential terrorist attack using man-portable, shoulder-launced surface-to-air missiles.
To date, LAIRCM has been selected for integration onto the US Air Force (USAF) C-5B, C-130 and C-17 cargo aircraft; the MC-130H Talon special operations aircraft; and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) A330 tanker and 737 AEW&C. As of July 2005, the USAF had contracts on order for integration of LAIRCM high-intensity modulated laser beam countermeasures on 56 C-17s through 2007.
In July 2006, the US Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman the first order of an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at roughly $50 million to deliver LAIRCM hardware for installation on C-17 and C-130 transport aircrafts. The five-year IDIQ could be worth $3.2 billion including spares and related services. The contract will expire by December 2010 and will support potential foreign military sales of LAIRCM laser-based countermeasure system.
The US Air Force awarded Northrop-Grumman a $104.6 million contract to provide LAIRCM countermeasures to NATO NE-3A AEW&C aircraft fleet on November 3, 2006. The contract comprises 17 Group A kits, 7 Group B kits, 10 additional Group B kits without small laser transmitter assemblies, and supporting spares. Two trial aircraft - one in the United States and a second one in Germany - will be equipped with LAIRCM countermeasures that might be enhanced if needed following the challenge posed by E-3's radar system. Implementation work was expected to be complete December 2009.
|
|
Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Leave Feedback >>
|
|
Copyright © 2003 - 2010 deagel.com. All Rights Reserved.
Australia
Canada / 4 
United Kingdom
United States of America