A laser beam counter-measure to man-portable missiles is being delivered by Northrop Grumman to the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command.

The system is the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures, or LAIRCM, Block 30, which is based on the company's Guardian system and designed for KC-135 aircraft.

Under a $31.7 million Defense Microelectronics Activity delivery order, Northrop will provide three system pods and support flight testing and training activities for them.

The third-generation LAIRCM pod, with 360-degree coverage, detects and tracks a man-portable air-defense system missile launch and uses a laser beam to jam the missile's guidance system, causing it to miss the target aircraft. The process is conducted automatically.

The system includes a multi-band laser pointer/tracker and four infrared missile warning sensors. The system is contained almost entirely in a single pod that mounts to the underside of an aircraft fuselage and which can be moved from one aircraft to another.

"This open architecture configuration, with its increased capability and reliability, provides the next level of aircraft protection," said Carl Smith, vice president, infrared countermeasure programs, Land and Self Protection Systems Division, Northrop Grumman. "Block 30 builds on the company's more than 15 years of experience in battle-proven laser-based infrared countermeasures. The third-generation role-fit pod configuration offers reliable, flexible protection that is ideally suited to numerous military and commercial aircraft."