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Suite of Infrared Countermeasures [SIIRCM]
AN/ALQ-212 Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM)
AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System (CMWS)

SIIRCM is the Army's next generation lamp/laser jammer, coupled with the new missile warner (CMWS), an advanced flare dispenser, and an advanced flare munition. This system replaces the old ALQ-144, M-206, and ALQ-156 families of jammers, flares, and missile warners. SIIRCM/CMWS is a large-scale horizontal integration of IRCM technology across 17 different Army, Navy, and Air Force rotary and fixed wing aircraft. Additionally, the Armored Systems Modernization PEO is looking at SIIRCM/CMWS technology for protection against Anti-Tank Guided Munitions (ATGM) since ATGMs also employ infrared seekers.

SIIRCM includes: a new development set of IR flare decoys the Advanced Infrared Countermeasures Munitions (AIRCMM), and passive IR features. These features include host platform modifications such as engine exhaust/heat suppression, and special coatings, intended to reduce the platform IR signature. The ATIRCM is part of the US Army's SIIRCM concept of IR protection. The CMWS consists of six (6) electro-optical sensors and an internally mounted Electronics Control Unit (ECU), which detects incoming missiles, provides warning to the crew, and dispenses countermeasures. CMWS is a totally passive detection system, requiring only the electro-optic (EO) signature of the missile plume. The ECU determines the threat status of detection’s using flight parameter data received from the aircraft Central Computer (CC). The ECU provides missile threat declaration, Direction-Of-Arrival (DOA) and elevation information to the CC which generates the crewstation display and warning tone. The CMWS allows for automatic or manual AN/ALE-45 Countermeasures Dispenser (CMD) operation.

The SIIRCM/CMWS contributes to full-dimensional protection by improving individual aircraft (or ground vehicle) probability of survival against an increasing worldwide proliferation of advanced infrared (IR) guided missiles. CMWS is a software reprogrammable system intended to provide automatic passive missile detection, threat declaration, positive warning of a post launch missile which is homing on the host platform, countermeasures effectiveness assessment, false alarm suppression, and cues to other onboard systems such as expendable countermeasures dispensers. For the Army only, the ATIRCM adds active directional countermeasures via an arc lamp and laser.

The ATIRCM/CMWS is comprised of six types of line replaceable units (LRUs). The installed LRU configuration may vary by platform from the baseline:

• The AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System is the detection component of a suite of countermeasures being developed Jointly to increase survivability of current generation combat, airlift and special operations aircraft against the threat posed by infrared guided missiles. The goal is to establish a system design with fit, function, and interfaces interchangeable across all Army, Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps "non-low observable" platforms. The Electronic Control Unit (ECU, baseline of one for both ATIRCM and CMWS) controls other LRUs, provides countermeasures selection and initiation, controls built-in-test (BIT), and provides the platform interface. The Electro-Optic Missile Sensors (EOMS, baseline four for ATIRCM and six for CMWS) passively detect the presence of energy within a specific band of interest, and transmit information to the ECU.
• AN/ALQ-212 Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) In addition to the above LRUs, the ATIRCM adds a Jam Head Control Unit (JHCU, baseline of one), which performs the laser and lamp jamming control functions for the Infrared Jam Heads (IRJHs, baseline two), once provided a missile hand-off from the CMWS. Also added are: an Infrared Jam Laser (IRJL, baseline one), which provides laser energy to the IRJHs; and an Improved Countermeasures Dispenser (ICMD, baseline one government furnished equipment AN/ALE-47 sequencer and two "smart" dispensers). ATIRCM is required to demonstrate integration with the Army Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures (SIRFC). The Navy Integrated Defensive Electronic Counter Measures (IDECM) program is required to demonstrate integration of CMWS in the IDECM suite.

An integrated product team (IPT) was formed in June 1995 to produce a tri-service approved ORD and an IPT coordinated TEMP in support of a 4QFY95 Milestone II decision. The Services merged two separate acquisition programs into one Joint program to eliminate duplicate development efforts and lower the Department of Defense life cycle costs of aircraft electronic warfare systems. The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology endorsed the merger, directed Acquisition Category IC status, authorized a Milestone II decision based on existing documentation, and waived all but statutory documentation requirements until Milestone III.

The aggressive continuum of modeling and simulation (M&S) intended to support the system development, hardware (and software) in the loop (HITL) testing, open air range testing, installed equipment testing, operational evaluation of the system, and ultimately the life cycle maintenance of the system, has been dependent on the Test and Measurement (T&M) program which has been ongoing since June 1996. While supporting system development, some aspects of the M&S effort are also dependent on the prime contractor's system design process and hardware deliveries. The T&M, conducted in and around Sander's Nashua NH facilities, at Eglin Air Force Base, and at White Sands Missile Range, has continued to gather both instrumented ground truth and prototype sensor views of environmental, threat, and false alarm data. T&M collection events planned in late FY97 were canceled due to CMWS sensor availability and cost of the T&M effort. Some multi-spectral test and evaluation limitations can only be overcome through iterative (i.e., model, test, model) modeling and simulation in conjunction with DT/OT events in order to construct and validate an end to end operational evaluation environment. The approved TEMP T&E concept for the CMWS included a sensor in the loop HITL capability. $2.5M of program funds were budgeted for that purpose. Beginning in late FY96, the program conducted a $250,000 effort to survey existing HITL capabilities. Proposals to upgrade an existing facility to this capability were reviewed. After consultation with OUSD(A&T)/S&TS-EW, the PM concluded that the sensor HITL schedule, cost, and technical risk to the ATIRCM/CMWS program was unacceptable. DOT&E has insisted that the approved T&E concept for the CMWS is dependent on a sensor HITL, and that this HITL could not be eliminated unless some adequate alternative is articulated in a TEMP update with DOT&E approval. Continuing dialogue in 1QFY98 resulted in a renewed commitment from the PM to develop the CMWS sensor HITL. This was further facilitated by a commitment from the Air Force Test and Evaluation Executive to fund the $600K of HITL cost which is in excess of the original budget set aside by the PM for this resource.

A TEMP update was begun in early FY97 to reflect the APB schedule changes and the proposed addition of a CMWS LRIP to the approved acquisition strategy. This TEMP update effort has now been re-scoped to include high priority changes to the program as of 1QFY98. Specifically:

1. Plans for developing the CMWS sensor HITL.
2. Addition of both CMWS, and ATIRCM, LRIPs to the acquisition strategy.
3. Resolution of the programs funding and schedule with adequately resourced T&E.

Responding to DOT&E and AFOTEC concerns, the PM has agreed to proceed with CMWS sensor HITL development. Since this is a unique capability, with moderate technical and schedule risk, which is being developed for the first time, the current plan follows a risk mitigating incremental approach.

T&E planning is in progress for completion of a combined DT/OT phase, and a resulting Operational Assessment, to support the acquisition decision maker prior to the proposed LRIP decisions.

As of October 98, the JPO identified a substantial FY98 funding shortfall and has moved to delay several key program events into subsequent years for funding, and also to reduce the T&E resource requirements which were approved in the MS-II TEMP. In addition, contractor delays to date to complete the system design and initial EMD hardware deliveries, resulted in the early FY97 program re-baseline which extended the MS-III by thirteen months. Continued delivery delays after the re-baseline have contributed to delays in completing early T&E related events. Most notably to date this has contributed to delays in development of the necessary and challenging modeling and simulation. Aircraft integration schedules are also major T&E drivers potentially at risk due to EMD delivery performance.

The DUSA(OR) and Army OPTEC have assumed an increased leadership role with the Joint T&E community, and along with the newly formed JPO are driving the production of the needed TEMP update for approval by DOT&E.

Hostile missile launch is identified by the CMWS' sensor and processed through the system's electronic control unit, programmed to select the appropriate countermeasure -- flares, or, for those platforms so equipped, the ATIRCM jam head. If selected by the ECU, and the ATIRCM jam head rotates to the general location of the missile signature. Data from the head's infrared tracker and from the CMWS sensor are correlated and validated by the system's jamming control unit, and the head is directed to lock onto the missile. Finally, the jam head xenon arc lamp and laser are activated to simultaneously jam the simulated threat. The entire sequence of operations, from detection to jamming, occurrs in less than a second.

Advances in laser technology, energy transmission, and jamming techniques are under evaluation for an all laser solution (eliminate non-coherent sources) as a P3I to the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasure System (ATIRCM)/Common Missile Warning System (CMWS). These improvements will provide the capability to counter both present and future multi-color imaging focal plane array and non-imaging missile seekers. A tunable multi-line laser with a fiber optic transmission line and advanced jamming algorithms will be live fire tested using the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) testbed. The goal is a 20X reduction in laser jam head volume, 35 lbs in weight reduction, and a 2X reduction in ATIRCM/CMWS power consumption, and a 6X improvement in jam to signal ratio.

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