Northrop Grumman wins $209 million for large aircraft infrared countermeasures

Northrop Grumman Corp. has won a modification to a previous contract to provide the U.S. Air Force and foreign customers with Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) equipment and support. The LAIRCM contract, announced by the Department of Defense, is for $209.7 million and increases the total value of the contract to $1.5 billion. LAIRCMs are pods integrated onto aircraft to assist pilots with detecting and avoiding incoming threats, including man-portable missiles. They are capable of countering advanced missile systems with no action required by the crew. Northrop Grumman is to provide LAIRCM equipment and support for 2018, with work to be performed at Northrup Grumman’s plant in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is projected to be finished by 30 April 2020. Three percent of the contract involves foreign military sales for South Korea.