CIRCM, the Common Infrared Countermeasures program, is a United States Army initiative intended to develop a lightweight, low-cost and modular laser-based infrared protection system for U.S. helicopters and light fixed-wing aircraft. The technology will primarily provide defense against shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles, or MANPADS. The program is being developed to replace older suites such as the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM).
The CIRCM system will be designed to meet Tri-Service "common" Army, Navy, and Air Force requirements. The Department of Defense’s (DoD) strategy is to competitively develop a lightweight and cost-effective jammer subsystem for installation on all DoD rotary-wing and slow moving fixed-wing aircraft.
The Army took delivery of its first CIRCM systems from Northrop Grumman in 2016.
Infrared countermeasures (IRCM)
Infrared guidance systems in heat-seeking missiles are designed to track strong sources of infrared radiation – heat – such as aircraft engines, helping missiles to home in on their targets. IRCM systems are based on a modulated source of infrared radiation with a higher intensity than the target itself. When a missile seeker observes this modulated radiation, it interferes with or obscures the modulated signal from the aircraft and renders the missile incapable of maintaining a lock on the target.
Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM)
Directional IRCM, or DIRCM, allows for a countermeasures laser to be targeted directly at an incoming IR threat. This makes possible a more powerful and effective defense than previous, non-directional infrared countermeasures, as the threat is directly addressed rather than the system essentially painting an area with IR disruption, which results in a weaker signal in any given direction.
As IR seeking technology has improved and diversified, standard IRCM systems have become less effective at defeating heat-seeking missiles. Measures such as flares have begun to give way to lasers, which, when fitted on a directional pivoting mount, allow for more effective, concentrated and energy-efficient directional targeting of IR radiation at incoming missile seekers.
CIRCM program background
CIRCM was authorized in April 2009 by the U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD (AT&L)), as a next generation program to replace the combined Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures/Common Missile Warning System (ATIRCM/CMWS) program. The program was designated as an Acquisition Category (ACAT) 1D program, also in April 2009.
The CIRCM system, (along with the older LAIRCM and ATIRCM systems) provide a directional infrared countermeasure, which employs both threat-tracking capabilities, as well defensive measures employing modulating laser pulses to confuse missiles' guidance systems causing them to miss their target.
The Army issued a draft request for proposals for the CIRCM contract in May 2009, opening the competitive phase for a deal to develop and install the missile jammer on thousands of helicopters and tiltrotors in US military inventory.
The winning contractor will provide an initial 1,076 systems to supply AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook and future armed scout helicopters. Currently, the DoD plans to award two or more 21-month technology development contracts first, followed by a two-year engineering and manufacturing development phase, with production to begin in 2015 and deployment in 2017. The program has an expected value of $1.5 billion.
Competition is fierce for the CIRCM program, with four established industry teams vying for what seems to be one of the few new starts the armed services will pursue in a "bleak" budgetary environment.
Current systems in operation
The CIRCM system is intended to be an improved, lighter-weight version of the ATIRCM system. CIRCM lowers the weight of the system and therefore brings with it the opportunity to deploy this kind of laser counter-measure across a wider portion of the fleet.
Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM)