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2020-08-12

Leonardo DRS Awarded Contract for DAIRCM

Leonardo DRS, Inc. recently announced that it has received a contract from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command to provide engineering design and test hardware for AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure (DAIRCM) advanced aircraft protection systems. The mixed cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-price, contract is reportedly worth US$120 million.

This contract follows the previous Joint Urgent Operational Needs programme that resulted in the system being fielded on U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy platforms. This Engineering and Manufacturing Development programme will continue to develop, integrate and test improved capabilities to keep pace with enhanced and future threats.

Under the newly awarded follow-on contract, Leonardo DRS will provide non-recurring engineering to design, develop, integrate and test engineering development models as well as production representative models of weapons replaceable assemblies for government testing.

The system has an open and scalable architecture that allows it to be optimised for various type/model/series aircraft. The low size, weight and power design of the system supports a range of rotary and tilt-wing aircraft throughout the services, including application to the emerging future vertical lift programmes.

“This continued strong partnership with our customer has produced technologies that will offer advanced capabilities, including combat survivability for flight crews while supporting their ability to accomplish diverse mission sets for years to come,” said John Baylouny, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Leonardo DRS.

Integrated Suite

As missile and other anti-aircraft threats continue to evolve and expand around the world, frontline helicopters will require a small but capable system to defeat these threats. The AN/AAQ-45, DAIRCM, is at the forefront of aircraft defensive protection technology and was developed by Leonardo DRS through three of its business units: Airborne & Intelligence Systems, Daylight Solutions, and Electro-Optical & Infrared Systems.

The DAIRCM system is an integrated suite of missile warning, laser warning, hostile fire indicator, and infrared countermeasure (IRCM) components designed to protect rotary-wing aircraft from the threat posed by infrared missiles. The system uses a single-centrally installed laser that can feed all of the beam directors.

The missile warning sensor detects an incoming missile threat and sends the information to the processor, which then notifies the aircrew through the control interface unit and initiates the laser to direct jamming energy at the incoming missile.

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