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{{Short description|Laser-based infrared protection system}}
CIRCM, the '''Common [[Infrared countermeasure|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 missile]]s, or [[MANPADS]].
The CIRCM system will be designed to meet Tri-Service "common" Army, Navy, and Air Force requirements. The [[United States Department of Defense|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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Osborn|first=Kris|title=Army Improving Helicopter Protective Measures|date=19 August 2010 |url=
The Army took delivery of its first CIRCM systems from Northrop Grumman in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Northrop Grumman Delivers First CIRCM Systems to US Army|url=http://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-delivers-first-circm-systems-to-us-army|publisher=Northrop Grumman}}</ref>▼
== Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM) ==▼
▲The Army took delivery of its first CIRCM systems from [[Northrop Grumman]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Northrop Grumman Delivers First CIRCM Systems to US Army|url=http://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-delivers-first-circm-systems-to-us-army|publisher=Northrop Grumman}}</ref>
{{Main|Infrared countermeasure}}
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.
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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.
== CIRCM
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.<ref>{{cite web|title=DOTE FY09 Annual Report - Army Programs (pp.55-56)|url=http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2009/pdf/other/2009DOTEAnnualReport.pdf|publisher=Director, Operational Test and Evaluation - US Department of Defense|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref>
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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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carey|first=Bill|title=Contractors Vie for U.S. Army IR Countermeasures Program|url=http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ain-defense-perspective/2011-08-15/contractors-vie-us-army-ir-countermeasures-program/|publisher=Aviation International News Online|accessdate=9 April 2012}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Loren|title=ITT Develops Breakthrough Design For Army Helicopter Defenses|date=22 July 2011 |url=http://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/itt-develops-breakthrough-design-for-army-helicopter-defenses?a=1&c=1171|publisher=Lexington Institute|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref>
== Current
[[File:Northrop CIRCM on US-Army UH-60M at ILA-2022.jpg|thumb|Northrop Grumman pointer/tracker of CIRCM on UH-60M Black Hawk]]
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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Osborn|first=Kris|title=Army Improving Helicopter Protective Measures|date=19 August 2010 |url=
== Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) ==
Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures, or ATIRCM, is the most recent attempt at an infrared countermeasures capability. The Army began fielding the ATIRCM Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) system on 83 CH-47s supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009. The USD (AT&L) limited the ATIRCM QRC program to these specific aircraft, due to the current combined weight of the ATIRCM/CMWS suite. DoD planners set the CIRCM target weight at 85 pounds for the jamming B-kit with two turrets, while the supporting A-kit is capped at 70 pounds for large rotorcraft like the Chinook and [[V-22 Osprey]] tiltrotor, or 35 pounds for smaller helicopters like the Black Hawk.<ref>{{cite web|last=Colucci|first=Frank|title=Common Countermeasures|url=http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/issue/feature/Common-Countermeasures_71251.html|publisher=Avionics Magazine Online|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref>
Service officials have said they want to field a cheaper, lighter system for their remaining helicopters, which will integrate smoothly with systems like CMWS and the Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS), across all branches of the military.<ref>{{cite web|last=Malenic|first=Marina|title=Firms Eye Helo Protection Contract As Army Seeks New Low-Cost Solution|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6712/is_17_248/ai_n56366701/|publisher=CBS Interactive Business Network|accessdate=2 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Suite of Infrared Countermeasures [SIIRCM]|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/siircm-program.htm|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref>
=== ATIRCM
The [[
In a June 2010 letter to Representative [[Ike Skelton]], D-Mo., Carter explained how restructuring the ATIRCM/CMWS program caused a breach of the Nunn-McCurdy statute, since, when military officials determined the ATIRCM system to be too heavy for any helicopter except the CH-47, the purchase quantity had to be substantially reduced - down to 83 units. This caused the unit cost to rise above
== Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) ==
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== Integration with the Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) ==
The '''Common [[Missile Warning System]]''', or CMWS, consists of missile warning sensors operating in the [[Solar-blind technology|solar-blind]] ultra-violet wavelengths capable of detecting incoming missile threats and an electronic control unit that informs the aircraft crew of the threat, automatically triggering flare/chaff countermeasures.<ref>{{cite web|title=DOTE FY09 Annual Report - Army Programs (pp.55-56)|url=http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2009/pdf/other/2009DOTEAnnualReport.pdf|publisher=Director, Operational Test and Evaluation - US Department of Defense|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref>
As of the end of 2009, the production CMWS, coupled with chaff/flare dispensers was deployed on approximately 1,000 Army CH-47 Chinooks, UH-60 Blackhawks, [[AH-64]] Apaches, [R]C-12 Hurons, [[Cessna Citation V|UC-35]] Citations and [[C-23 Sherpa|C-23]] Sherpa Aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|title=DOTE FY09 Annual Report - Army Programs (pp.55-56)|url=http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2009/pdf/other/2009DOTEAnnualReport.pdf|publisher=Director, Operational Test and Evaluation - US Department of Defense|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref>
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CIRCM will integrate with CMWS, which will identify an incoming threat (i.e. whether it is a missile or tracer fire, etc.), and then integrate with CIRCM's onboard tracking system.
== Additional CIRCM
The DoD requires that CIRCM implement a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) to integrate jamming lasers, missile trackers and missile warning receivers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Colucci|first=Frank|title=Common Countermeasures|url=http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/issue/feature/Common-Countermeasures_71251.html|publisher=Avionics Magazine Online|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref>
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The program is currently in the technology demonstration phase.
==See also==
*[[List of military electronics of the United States]]
*[[Joint Electronics Type Designation System]]
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Infrared imaging]]
[[Category:Missile countermeasures]]
[[Category:Electronic countermeasures]]
[[Category:Electronic warfare equipment]]
[[Category:Military electronics of the United States]]
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