Northrop Grumman celebrates 20 years producing directional infrared countermeasures

Northrop Grumman Corporation this week marked the 20th anniversary of its initial contract from the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MOD) to develop directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM).

The system developed by Northrop Grumman has produced five generations of DIRCM products, which have protected more than 1,200 U.S. and allied aircraft against sophisticated infrared guided missile threats. The system has amassed more than a million combat hours without allowing a single strike on a DIRCM-protected aircraft.

DIRCM automatically detects a missile launch, determines if it is a threat, and activates a high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to track and avoid the missile.

"The aspect of this program that we are most proud of is that no protected aircraft has ever been lost or hit by a heat-seeking missile," Carl Smith, Northrop Grumman’s vice president for infrared countermeasures, said. "We are honored to have been entrusted by the MOD for two decades to provide this lifesaving technology. We look forward to continuing to work together to enhance the system so we can be sure that no lives will ever be lost with this capability onboard."

Andrew Tyler, the company’s CEO for the United Kingdom and Europe, said the DIRCM collaboration has been vital for the defense industry in the region.

"DIRCM is a strategically important, lifesaving technology, and has been hugely successful in delivering a mission-critical capability for protecting the U.K.'s front line and other aircraft," Tyler said.

The United Kingdom established the first DIRCM program in 1989 following terrorist threats to attack aircraft using man-portable air-defense systems. The United States signed onto the program after an AC-130H gunship was shot down outside of Kuwait City during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. A contract was subsequently awarded to Northrop Grumman in 1995 to install DIRCM on several platforms, including small helicopters and large fixed-wing aircraft.