Lightweight processor for defeating infrared missile threats developed by Northrop Grumman

Posted by John McHale
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., 11 June 2011. A new lightweight processor designed to identify, track, and defeat infrared missiles threatening fixed and rotary winged aircraft was released by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC)
This miniaturized, modular processor, which uses an off-the-shelf operating system, uses one quarter the electrical input power and is a third lighter than current directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) processors, company officials say.
The processor is part of Northrop Grumman's Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) for the U.S. Army.
"This small processor has demonstrated the ability to perform complex tracking functions while hosted on a commercially off-the-shelf [COTS] processor," says Carl Smith, vice president of infrared countermeasures for Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division. "The processor has demonstrated that it can track missiles in stressing environments including clutter by maintaining tracking through obscuring helicopter blades and rejecting flares."
Northrop Grumman engineers also have developed a software development environment that enables the team to play back complex engagements to make sure all software and hardware is performing.