US Navy Awards Leonardo DRS DAIRCM Production Contract to Shield Helicopters From Heat-Seeking Missiles

US Naval Air Systems Command awarded Leonardo DRS a three-year indefinite-delivery contract for low-rate initial production of the AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure aircraft survivability system. DAIRCM combines missile warning, directed infrared countermeasures, laser warning and hostile-fire indication in a lightweight modular suite for small and medium-sized aircraft. Leonardo DRS will manufacture equipment in Dallas and San Diego, with aircraft integration and logistics support based at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The production award follows engineering and manufacturing development and earlier urgent operational deployments; contract value, quantities and a specific new helicopter installation schedule were not disclosed.