Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM)

Abstract

This funding line is a key enabler of the Army Modernization Priorities in support of the Aviation Survivability Equipment (ASE) program. The Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) budget line includes funding to support the development and integration of Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) products onto CH-47F. CIRCM (EB4) CIRCM is the next generation lightweight, laser-based Infrared Countermeasure (IRCM) component that will interface with both the Army's Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) and future Missile Warning Systems (MWS) to defeat current and emerging missile threats that use multispectral technology for rotary-wing, tilt-rotor and small fixed-wing aircraft across the DoD. CIRCM receives an angular bearing hand-off from the MWS, employs a pointing and tracking system which acquires the handed-over threat and tracks the incoming missile during and after motor burnout. CIRCM jams the missile by using modulated laser energy in the missile seeker band, thus degrading the tracking capability of the missile and causing it to miss the aircraft. CIRCM is utilizing Open Systems Architecture which allows flexibility with software and hardware refreshes. Tech insertions, when coupled with future threat acquisition and integration, will ensure CIRCM performance to keep pace with future threats. CIRCM is part of the suite of ASE Mission Equipment for the FVL platform. The CIRCM A-Kit includes mounting hardware, wiring harnesses, and other components necessary to install and interface the mission kit on host aircraft. The A-Kit ensures the mission kit is functionally and physically operational with a specific host aircraft type. The CIRCM B-Kit is the mission kit (laser, pointer tracker, and controller) required to achieve near spherical coverage for an aircraft. JUONS SO-0010 and CIRCM QRC As a part of Phase 2a of the JUONS (SO-0010) program, the Army integrated the Department of the Navy Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (DoN LAIRCM) system onto the Army and Special Operations Aircraft platforms. Due to a number of challenges, circumstances, and variables, the Army updated the ATW/CIRCM QRC and Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) Directed Requirements (dated November 16, 2018). The updated requirements extend the utilization of ATW DoN LAIRCM on conventional Army aircraft and cancel the need for the ATW/CIRCM QRC system for the conventional Army. (It should be noted that the updated requirement maintains the need for ATW/CIRCM on the Special Operations Aircraft. Sustainment of ATW on Special Operations Aircraft will transfer to Special Operations Aircraft budget line in FY23). As a result, the Army did not acquire the ATW sensors for use in Phase 3 of the JUONS effort. Instead, the Army accelerated the procurement of the CIRCM QRC systems for use with the currently fielded CMWS in preparation for transition to the LIMWS system. Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Base Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDTE) funding in the amount of $11.523 million will fund A-Kit development, integration and test activities on multi-variant platforms.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2023
• Source ID: 0605035A_5_2040_PB_2023
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2023 funding increase reflects the fact that the FY 2022 President's Budget request did not include out-year funding.
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Sensors
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Aircrafts
• Army Aircraft
• Artificial Intelligence
• Contracts
• Countermeasures
• Engineering
• Fixed Wing Aircraft
• Infrared Countermeasures
• Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures
• Model Based Systems Engineering
• Procurement
• Product Development
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• Tilt Rotor Aircraft
• Warning Systems

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

• Directed Energy