Directed energy systems

Army CIRCM contract centers on open architecture

The Army is pushing forward with the engineering, manufacturing and development of its Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) program, using open architecture to build a system designed to protect aircraft from infrared-guided missile threats. The program is on track for final testing and fielding in fiscal 2019, according to Army officials.

CIRCM is the follow-on to the existing Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures program, boosting aircraft survivability through laser-based defenses, officials told reporters on a Jan. 6 conference call.

"The [man-portable air-defense systems or MANPAD] threat fires at our aviation aircraft, our helicopters; we detect the threat [and] the CIRCM system will acquire and track the threat, then emit laser energy to defeat the MANPAD threat," said LTC Kevin Chaney, product manager for aircraft survivability equipment (ASE) countermeasures. "Once that's done, the engagement will be over."