# Project 67A038 — Active Defense Sensor

**Program element:** 0401134F — Large Aircraft IR Countermeasures (LAIRCM)  
**Project:** 67A038  
**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/67A038  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0401134F

## Summary

Project 67A038 — Active Defense Sensor requests $12.3M in FY2027, 100% of the $12.3M requested for program element 0401134F, up 64% on FY2026. 2 R-2A activities decompose the request, 1 new this cycle. Northrop Grumman is the largest named R-3 performer at $12.3M, 100% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 0.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 7.5 |
| FY2027 | Request | 12.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 20.0 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 15.0 |
| 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 67A038 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 LAIRCM Operational Requirements Document (ORD) 314-92, validated on 03 Aug 1998. The Active Defense Sensor (ADS) will provide sensing and cueing of threats, which is anticipated to employ a version of a long-range Radio Frequency (RF) defense sensor to provide long range sensing and cueing of threats. ADS will enhance existing High Value Airborne Asset survivability to detect and employ new tactics against an expanded category of threats. Anticipated efforts include, but are not limited to hardware and software upgrade, development, and integration; prototyping; testing of the sensor as it integrates into a modular system of systems approach to maintain defensive capability against new and emerging threats. In FY 2027, the Hostile Fire Indication/Laser Warning (HFI/LW) efforts were transferred from Project 674942, LAIRCM to Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor to continue the development of capabilities for the LAIRCM system. ADS continues development of the Multi Threat Mid-Wave (MW) Infrared (IR) Sensor, a new MWS for the LAIRCM system. The Multi-Threat MW IR sensor will increase the effectiveness of the LAIRCM system by providing aircrews with enhanced detection capabilities against small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft fire, and laser-guided munitions. This program element included all necessary expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, and 0605898F.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | 12.3 | 100% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 2

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Threat Mid-Wave (MW) IR Sensor | — | — | 12.3 | new | — |
| Active Defense Sensor | — | 7.5 | — | −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.

### Multi-Threat Mid-Wave (MW) IR Sensor — NEW START

**FY2027 planned work.** Capability upgrade effort with Northrop Grumman to develop improved sensor to enable Hostile Fire Indication/Laser Warning capabilities including analysis, specification development, planning of all sensor/system development activities, and material procurement to support test article fabrication.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** funding increase due to transfer of Hostile Fire Indication/Laser Warning (HFI/LW) capability development efforts from Project 674942, LAIRCM, to Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor.

### Active Defense Sensor

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Funding decreased due to transfer of Active Defense Sensor development activities from PE 0401134F, LAIRCM, Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor, to PE 0401334F, LASS, Project 67A038, Active Defense Sensor.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** Award multiple Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) prototype development agreements and begin sensor development, maturing the system for physical demonstration. This involves hardware/software design studies, requirements refinement, sensor development, implementing modular scalable architecture, and conceptual modeling.

## 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 67A038 (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.*