Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has secured a $61.8 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide new infrared countermeasure technology to the U.S. Air Force for defending large military aircraft from missile threats.
The company said Friday it aims to develop a first-fire coating technology that supports flare ignition under the five-year contract.
USAF is procuring MJU-73/B and MJU-62A/B flares to function as a key element of a protective measures suite designed to help increase the survivability of aircraft platforms against air-to-air and surface-to-air enemy missiles.
Charlie Precourt, vice president for propulsion systems at Northrop, said the flares will work to simulate the heat signature of an aerial vehicle to divert IR missiles away and reduce the odds of the aircraft being struck.
