The Defense Department‘s Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation has evaluated the performance of a directional infrared countermeasures technology installed on U.S. Army helicopters, The Drive reported Thursday.
DOT&E found that the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure technology, built by Northrop Grumman, did not perform well in “theater” operations due to flaws identified in software that connects multiple sensors with the rest of the system.
The report said the Army put on hold its plans to install LAIRCM on the service branch’s UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters to re-evaluate the technology.
LAIRCM is equipped with six infrared warning sensors, turreted laser countermeasures and a control interface designed to link the components with the aircraft’s mission systems.
The DOT&E noted the Army implemented a pilot procedural workaround for AH-64 aircrew to potentially deploy without a sensor system.