Large Aircraft Countermeasures Program Completes First Tests

The US air force is one year ahead of schedule in producing a new system called LAIRCM to protect big fixed wing and rotary aircraft from missile attacks and other ground threats. I think this will greatly improve the survivability of big cargo and B-52 bombers also for rotary aircraft.

The LAIRCM system is a laser-based countermeasure system that protects large fixed-wing transports and small rotary-wing aircraft from an infrared missile attack by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat, and activating a high-intensity countermeasure system to track and defeat the threat. LAIRCM is produced by Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

The test program involved more than 100 flight hours and 2,000 simulated threat engagements. C-17 flight testing was conducted at Edwards and Holloman Air Force Bases, while C-130 testing occurred at Eglin Air Force Base.

The regimen also included successful effectiveness testing at the Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator and live missile-firing tests at White Sands Missile Range.

Click here if you want to know more about LAIRCM.

This is the same system that will be employed on domestic air carriers.

Israel has something similar for 747s and similar aircrafts...
It's in testing stages, first tests were very successfull.