The Department of the Navy's CH-53E heavy lift helicopter fleet will continue to receive new Northrop Grumman-designed, built and tested Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) self-protection systems following the Pentagon's decision to authorize full rate production of the units.

The decision, allows Naval Air Systems Command to continue procurement of Northrop Grumman's battle-proven Department of Navy LAIRCM (DoN LAIRCM) system, which includes the Viper Laser and the newest generation jam head and missile warning sensor technology.

"The DoN LAIRCM Team has made a significant contribution to our forward deployed Marines. Today, the DoN LAIRCM system is installed and is flying in combat operations providing the world's most advanced aircraft protection system to our Marines and Sailors," said CAPT Paul Overstreet USN - the Navy's Program Manager.

"This has been a model rapid acquisition program and could not have been accomplished without the tireless efforts of the Northrop Grumman/US Gov team."

"Aircraft survivability equipment has taken on an increasingly important role in U.S. Department of Defense and Marine Corps aviation," said Carl Smith, vice president of Infrared Countermeasures Programs at Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division.

"During this highly accelerated program, the team accomplished in just 19 months what typically requires more than 36 months to complete. Frequent and effective communications between the government and contractor Integrated Product Team members were key to this success."

To evaluate system effectiveness, live fire testing was performed at Tonopah and White Sands Missile Ranges in addition to flight testing at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Eglin Air Force Base where the system demonstrated the capability to significantly increase aircraft survivability.

DoN LAIRCM went into operational use on CH-53E helicopters starting in January 2009 and has accrued over 4,500 successful flight hours providing aircrews with protection from potential infrared missile attacks. Full rate production authorization expands the platform base to include the CH-53D and CH-46E helicopters.

The only such aircraft protection system currently in production, Northrop Grumman's LAIRCM system is now installed or scheduled for installation on several hundred military aircraft including approximately 50 different fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms.

The system functions by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat, and activating a high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat the missile.