
Yesterday, the U.S. Army declared the Northrop Grumman Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system operationally suitable, effective and ready for full-rate production following a successful six-month initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) activity.
βThrough our partnership with the U.S. Army and our suppliers, we have already delivered over 100 production systems,β said Bob Gough, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman. βThe successful completion of IOT&E confirms CIRCMβs readiness for full-rate production.β
CIRCMβs dual-jammer configuration helps to protect aircrews while providing the highest level of aircraft survivability. The CIRCM system provides protection against a wide range of infrared-guided anti-aircraft missile threats, including shoulder-fired and vehicle-launched.
During the rigorous testing, the system was flown through a multitude of scenarios and environments to assess CIRCMβs ability to detect, engage and defeat threats. The system rapidly defeated all threats during IOT&E, proving it is ready to support the complex missions of the U.S. Army.
In addition to baseline performance, the systemβs next-generation open architecture design will enable rapid and timely capability enhancements to keep pace with changing mission needs.
Northrop Grumman also leverages digital engineering technologies and lean-Agile methodologies to deliver continued system improvement throughout CIRCMβs lifecycle to counter new and evolving threats.