Leonardo DRS to Produce DAIRCM Defensive System for USMC UH-1Y and AH-1Z

The NAVAIR contract will support low-rate initial production of the AN/AAQ-45 system, which will equip the UH-1Y and AH-1Z with missile warning, laser warning, hostile-fire indication and DIRCM.

Leonardo DRS, the U.S.-based subsidiary of the Italian firm, has been awarded a three-year contract by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) of its AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure (DAIRCM) aircraft survivability system. DAIRCM will equip the UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper fleets of the U.S. Marine Corps, says Leonardo.

“This award moves the DRS DAIRCM System into low-rate initial production and expands our ability to provide critical integrated aircraft survivability capabilities to our military customers,” said John Baylouny, president and chief executive officer of Leonardo DRS. “We are proud to help address evolving aircraft survivability requirements and to enhance crew protection with a cost-effective advanced integrated capability.”

The award marks the transition of the integrated protection suite into production following the completion of its Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. Under the contract, DRS says it will provide hardware production, aircraft integration, systems engineering, program management and associated logistics support.

Responding to a Joint Urgent Operational Need Statement

The DAIRCM was originally developed and evaluated with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) following a 2015 Joint Urgent Operational Need Statement (JUONS). The program was fast-tracked by the Navy’s Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems Program Office (PMA-272) to bypass traditional, slow acquisition timelines.

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter prepares to land beside a U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter on the flight deck of Royal Australian Navy Canberra-class landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra (L02) during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. | Source: Royal Australian Navy Leading Seaman Matthew Lyall DAIRCM has already been deployed on aircraft operating under the same JUONS, including the HH-60G Pave Hawk. NAVAIR previously disclosed plans for DAIRCM to equip UH-1Y Venom, AH-1Z Viper, MH-60S Seahawk, HH-60G Pave Hawk, HH-60W Jolly Green II, and AH-6/MH-6 Little Bird helicopters.

The U.S. Air Force already tested a limited capability configuration of the DAIRCM on an HH-60G in 2018, before the contract awarded in 2020 to equip 30 helicopters. At the time, it was disclosed that the U.S. Navy already tested the system on the MH-60S in 2018 and 2019, and on the AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters in 2019.

The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) evaluated the system for installation on the A/MH-6M Mission Enhanced Little Bird of the 160th SOAR, with potential use also on MH-60 and MH-47. Notably, the Little Bird was the only helicopter in the SOCOM inventory without protection from IR guided missiles.

AN/AAQ-45(V) DAIRCM

The AN/AAQ-45(V) Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure (DAIRCM) is a lightweight, modular aircraft survivability system designed primarily for small- and medium-sized aircraft, where size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements can be a constraint. The system combines missile warning, directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM), laser warning and hostile-fire indication to help protect aircraft and crews from surface-to-air threats in contested environments.

Composite image of the entire DAIRCM system (left), the sensor (upper right) and the laser unit (lower right). | Source: U.S. Navy/Leonardo DRS The missile-warning capability uses two-colour infrared sensors to detect incoming missiles. DAIRCM’s distributed sensor architecture provides 360-degree aircraft self-protection, allowing it to detect threats approaching from different directions.

Once a threat is identified, the system can employ its DIRCM capability, directing laser energy towards the missile’s infrared seeker to disrupt its ability to track the aircraft. Unlike conventional countermeasures based on the deployment of flares, DIRCM attempts to defeat the missile by interfering directly with its seeker.

According to public Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) reports, “the system uses a single, centrally installed laser that can feed all of the beam directors. The threat warning sensor sends raw video and digital data information to the processor, which analyzes the data for an incoming Missile, Laser, or Hostile Fire threat. If the processor detects a threat, it notifies the aircrew through the control interface unit and initiates the laser to direct jamming energy at the incoming missile”.

The system also provides laser warning and hostile-fire indication, giving the crew additional information about potential threats in the aircraft’s operating environment. These capabilities are particularly relevant to helicopters operating at low altitudes, where they can be exposed to man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), vehicle-launched infrared-guided missiles and ground-based hostile fire.

According to the DOT&E reports, test results showed that the DAIRCM is capable to successfully defeat vehicle-launched, infrared-guided missiles, MANPADS, laser-guided threats and hostile fire. The system has also been successfully employed in combat operations.