# Project 674942 — Large Aircraft Infrared Counter Measures (LAIRCM)

**Program element:** 0401134F — Large Aircraft IR Countermeasures (LAIRCM)  
**Project:** 674942  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401134F/674942  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401134F

## Summary

Project 674942 — Large Aircraft Infrared Counter Measures (LAIRCM) requests $0.0M in FY2027, 0.0% of the $12.3M requested for program element 0401134F, down 100% on FY2026. 3 R-2A activities decompose the request.

**Markets:** Comms, Radar & EW Electronics — matched on the project title only, and no market size is quoted.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 7.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 31.7 |
| FY2027 | Request | 0.0 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 0.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 0.0 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0401134F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 674942 buys

The Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system is an evolutionary acquisition program that provides significantly improved defensive systems capability for DoD aircraft to counter the man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) missile threat. The system is currently installed on 54 aircraft types and over 1,200 aircraft. The current LAIRCM system configuration consists of missile warning sensors (MWS), a laser transmitter assembly, control interface unit and processors to detect, track, jam and counter incoming missiles. The number of sensors and transmitter assemblies per aircraft is determined by the size and signature of the aircraft. The system is fully autonomous following system power-up. LAIRCM requirements are documented in the multi-command Operational Requirements Document (ORD) LAIRCM ORD 314-92, validated on 03 Aug 1998. The baseline development program is complete. Follow-on efforts continue Evolving Threat Analysis in order to address and counter new and emerging threats, as well as ensure integration onto new aircraft types and existing LAIRCM platforms. Additional efforts include design changes to improve reliability, maintainability, & availability and system improvements with form, fit, function and interface compliant replacements. LAIRCM upgrades include but are not limited to hardware and software upgrades, as well as testing of the LAIRCM system to maintain defensive capability against new and emerging threats. Current and future efforts include AFRL Threat Analysis; Modeling, Simulation and Test; Virtual System Integration Lab (SIL) Development; and Studies and Analysis. AFRL Threat Analysis encompasses the activities to support threat exploitation analysis of a variety of threats (both known and emerging) against the current LAIRCM jam code with the intent of determining if jam code updates are required. Typical threat analysis activities include: threat seeker characterization; model development for advanced threat IR seekers; development and testing of new infrared countermeasures concepts, techniques, and hardware; new technology assessment for potential incorporation into the LAIRCM system, and the evaluation/ exploitation of new threats and threat characteristics relative to infrared countermeasures (IRCM).

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Test and Evaluation.

## Activities (R-2A) — 3

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAIRCM AFRL Threat Analysis | 6.0 | 26.0 | 0.0 | −100% | — |
| LAIRCM, Modeling, Simulation, and Test | 1.5 | 4.2 | 0.0 | −100% | — |
| Capability Upgrade | — | 1.5 | 0.0 | −100% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### LAIRCM AFRL Threat Analysis

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decreased due to the transfer of activities for HFI/LW capabilities under Multi-Threat Mid-Wave IR Sensor development to PE 0401134F, LAIRCM, Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor, and the transfer of LRDS efforts to PE 0401334F, Large Aircraft Survivability Systems (LASS), Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Threat analysis activities to include threat exploitation, jam code updates, develop new Hostile Fire Indication/Laser Warning (HFI/LW) capability, and start Long Range Detect Sensor development.

### LAIRCM, Modeling, Simulation, and Test

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decreased due to a transfer of activities to PE 0401134F, LAIRCM, Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor to support Multi-Threat Mid-Wave (MW) IR sensor development.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Continued Modeling, Simulation and Test analysis activities to include threat analysis validation.

### Capability Upgrade

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decrease due to a transfer of activities to PE 0401134F, LAIRCM, Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor for Multi-Threat Mid-Wave (MW) IR sensor development.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Capability Upgrade efforts to support Hostile Fire Indicator/Laser Warning (HFI/LW) Joint Requirement and HFI/LW Risk Reduction Study.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401134F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0401134F project 674942 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0401134F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*