The company Northrop Grumman indicated through a statement that the future CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters of the German Armed Forces will be equipped with the Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) systems, as part of the process of incorporating the new heavy-lift CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The integration of these self-protection systems seeks to reinforce the aircraft’s survivability in operational missions, in line with the combat readiness requirements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
For the first time, Northrop Grumman will supply the CIRCM system to Germany, expanding its presence in Europe in the field of survivability systems for military aircraft. According to the company, Germany will receive 47 units of the system as part of a production award made by the United States Army (U.S. Army), which will be installed on the CH-47 Chinook helicopters recently acquired by Berlin.
The CIRCM system acts as a protection mechanism installed on the exterior of military helicopters, designed to detect and neutralize infrared threats. Through the use of advanced electro-optical technology, the system identifies incoming missiles — including those launched from the shoulder — and emits a high-power laser that interferes with their guidance signal, causing the loss of target tracking and their subsequent deviation.
According to data provided by the manufacturer, nearly 700 Northrop Grumman CIRCM systems have been installed on rotary-wing aircraft in different countries. The system accumulates more than 70,000 hours of operational flight in helicopters of the U.S. Army, including the models AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and UH-60 Black Hawk, registering an operational record without aircraft losses associated with threats of this type.
Leah Hooten, vice president of aircraft survivability at Northrop Grumman, noted that international interest in these types of solutions continues to increase. “More international partners are recognizing CIRCM’s pioneering protection capabilities to maximize mission success. With an open architecture, the lightweight CIRCM system remains ready for any mission and enables rapid technological upgrades. It is not only ideal for small aircraft, but also a key system that provides important advantages to our international warfighters,” the executive stated.
The integration of these systems is linked to the program through which Germany acquired 60 CH-47F Block II helicopters, whose production was awarded to Boeing through a contract granted by the United States government on October 27, 2025. The agreement includes an investment of 876.4 million dollars and establishes a work schedule that will extend until October 2035, with production tasks concentrated at the company’s plant in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
The contract was managed by the U.S. Army Contracting Command based in Alabama and is carried out under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, a mechanism through which Berlin committed the necessary funds at the time of the award. The program is part of the modernization of the heavy rotary-wing transport capabilities of the Bundeswehr, which foresees the arrival of the first units in the country starting in 2027.
As a precedent to the incorporation process, in April 2024 a CH-47F Chinook of the Royal Netherlands Air Force arrived at the Holzdorf airfield to collaborate with the German Armed Forces in operational preparation for the future fleet. The aircraft was used to train crews in ground and flight operations, as well as to evaluate the available infrastructure, including hangars, refueling procedures, and cockpit adaptation.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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