Boeing lands a $99mn USAF contract for LAIRCM Block 30 systems.

"Work will be performed at Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 24, 2018. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity," the US DoD said.

The third-generation LAIRCM pod is produced by Northrop Grumman. With 360-degree coverage, it 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 andwhich can be moved from one aircraft to another.

Platforms such as the C-5, C-17, and C-130 aircraft have already been equipped with the LAIRCM. The US Air Force plans to integrate LAIRCM on KC-46 aircraft and the Navy plans to integrate LAIRCM on P-8 aircraft which can be moved from one aircraft to another.