Directional Infrared Counter Measures

Directional Infrared Counter Measures

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Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24 DIRCM

Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) are a class of anti-missile systems

produced to protect aircraft from infrared homing MANPADS. It is a light-weight and
compact system designed to provide mission-vulnerable aircraft with increased
protection from common battlefield threats. It is more advanced than
conventional infrared countermeasures. Aerospace companies, such as Leonardo
S.p.A., Elbit Systems, Northrop Grumman, ITT Corporation, and BAE Systems, are
designing these systems.
The term DIRCM is used as a generic term to describe any infrared countermeasure
system that tracks and directs energy toward the threat, as in the Russian 101KS-O
system.

Contents

 1Method of operation
 2Systems
o 2.1AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis
o 2.2101KS-O
 3See also
 4References
 5External links

Method of operation[edit]
The systems use an effective method of jamming infrared missile seekers through the
sensor aperture and can be placed in either active or standby mode. In the standby
mode, the aircrew must select the active mode to begin jamming infrared (IR) threats.
The pulsing flashes of IR energy confuse the missile guidance system, preventing the
tracking of the target aircraft.

Systems[edit]
AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis[edit]
The AN/AAQ-24 system is a directional infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system. It
consists of a missile warning system (AN/AAR-54), an integration unit, a processor, and
laser turrets (Small Laser Transmitter Assembly, SLTA). Early versions of this system
used an arc lamp to generate the jammer signal. The newer versions of this system
produced by Northrop Grumman use diode-based pump systems and are known by the
name GUARDIAN. These systems are intended for potential fitting to commercial
carriers pending the completion of multiple tests on the viability of such options.
The AN/AAQ-24 system is installed in the Northrop Grumman Guardian system
marketed for commercial aircraft.[1] The system will be installed by 2025[2] on C-17
Globemaster III, MC-130, CV-22, and the CH-53E Super Stallion.
Large Aircraft Infrared Counter-Measure system (LAIRCM) was a US
Military requirement for protecting its large aircraft from infrared-guided missiles. [3] The
AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis system was produced to serve this requirement.
LAIRCM-Lite is a C-17 program that uses a combination of laser jamming DIRCM and
flares due to the limited availability of LAIRCM components.
101KS-O[edit]
The 101KS-O is a DIRCM system mounted on the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet. It has
sensors that are placed in turrets, which are mounted on two points: the dorsal spine
and the forward fuselage under the cockpit. It uses modulated laser-based
countermeasures to confuse or destroy incoming missiles' tracking mechanisms. [4] The
101KS-O is the first DIRCM that is deployed on any fighter aircraft. [5][6]

See also[edit]

 AN/ALQ-144 – Infrared guided-missile countermeasure system

 Civil Aircraft Missile Protection System
 Common Infrared Countermeasures program
 Flight Guard
 Infrared countermeasure, first type of countermeasures
 Missile approach warning system
 Northrop Grumman Guardian