Gulfstream Aerospace has landed a $6.8 million contact to install a directional infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system on the five C-37A aircraft leased by the U.S. Air Force. The AAQ-24(V) NEMESIS is the world's only operationally deployed laser DIRCM system. Originally developed to protect fixed-wing cargo aircraft from attack during take off and landing, the Nemesis DIRCM system automatically detects the launch of shoulder-fired, infrared-guided missiles known as MANPADS, ultimately jamming the guidance system with its on-board laser.

The DIRCM tracks simultaneously and defeats multiple threats in clutter environments, providing fast and accurate threat detection and simultaneous jamming in all current IR threat bands (I, II and IV). This countermeasures system thwarts all fielded IR missile threats using a single generic jam waveform and does not require stress-inducing complementary aircraft maneuvers of a flare-based system.

The deal is a firm, fixed-price modification to the Air Force's existing 10-year contract with Gulfstream. The rented C-37As, militarized versions of the long-range Gulfstream V business jet, are used primarily for non-stop transportation of high-ranking government and Pentagon officials.

The company will install DIRCMs on the eight-passenger C-37As. Already operational on 39 platforms in the Australia, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States, Nemesis is also being installed on 17 NATO AWACS aircraft. Fixed-wing platforms include: BAE-146, G-550, Challenger, C-130 (variants), L1011, 747, A330, 737 and C17. Rotorcraft platforms include: EH-101, SeaKing, MH-53, CV-22, Lynx and Puma.

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