- Northrop Grumman will build Common Infrared Countermeasure systems for the U.S. Army
- The $4.84 billion contract covers CIRCM full-rate production through September 2035
- The Army has fielded CIRCM on AH-64, CH-47 and UH-60 aircraft with more than 30,000 operational flight hours
Northrop Grumman has secured a $4.84 billion firm-fixed-price contract to deliver Common Infrared Countermeasure, or CIRCM, systems to the U.S. Army, the Department of War announced Tuesday.
What Does the Army’s CIRCM Contract Cover?
The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award covers full-rate production of CIRCM systems. Work locations and funding will be determined as individual orders are issued, with orders to be issued through September 2035. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is managing the contract, and the Army received one bid in response to its solicitation for the award.
What Is the Common Infrared Countermeasure System?
CIRCM is an infrared-guided missile defense system that uses a dual-jammer configuration to protect military aircraft from missile threats. The Army has fielded the system on its AH-64, CH-47 and UH-60 aircraft, which have logged more than 30,000 operational flight hours with CIRCM installed.
What Is the Army’s History With CIRCM?
In 2021, the Army awarded Northrop Grumman a $959.1 million contract to produce CIRCM after the system completed initial operational testing and evaluation and was cleared for full-rate production. In 2023, the Army declared CIRCM initially operational on four helicopter variants: the UH-60M, HH-60M, CH-47F and AH-64E. Northrop Grumman said at the time that it had delivered more than 350 systems to the Army.
The company received an award of approximately $155.1 million in July 2023, followed by awards of $142 million and $144 million in August 2023. In 2024, Northrop received a fourth award under the contract, covering 336 additional CIRCM shipsets in addition to the 500 units already delivered for military aircraft.
