Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $334 million firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) systems and support.

Critical to the safe return of troops abroad, the LAIRCM system functions by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat and activating a high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat the missile.

Under the terms of the contract Northrop Grumman will deliver LAIRCM hardware and provide associated support to the Air Force beginning immediately and continuing through April 2014.

"Aircraft survivability equipment is essential to protecting our warfighting customers serving abroad," said Carl Smith, vice president of infrared countermeasures programs at Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division.

"This latest award is a continuation of our long term relationship with the U.S. Air Force and further demonstrates confidence in our battle proven AN/AAQ-24(v) LAIRCM system."

Northrop Grumman's various infrared countermeasure systems are now installed or scheduled for installation on several hundred military aircraft across the U.S. Department of Defense to protect approximately 50 different types of large fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms from infrared missile attacks.