The US Air Force has launched a market survey to equip its HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue helicopters with an Advanced Infrared Countermeasures (AIRCM) system, boosting protection against modern infrared-guided missiles.
The effort covers analysis, development, demonstration, and full fleet integration, including design and production of aircraft modification kits.
The US Air Force is seeking an open-architecture design with full data rights to support long-term sustainment and future upgrades.
Officials are considering proven systems, specifying the Common Infrared Countermeasure and the Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure as top candidates.
Both rely on laser-based technology to disrupt incoming missile seekers, providing automatic detection and defeat within seconds, according to sources.
Industry partners must demonstrate experience with rotary-wing modifications without impacting flight performance or existing avionics and operate within the helicopter’s power, cooling, and structural limits.
Contract by Next Year
Derived from the UH-60 Black Hawk, the HH-60W currently uses missile warning sensors but lacks an active countermeasure, leaving crews reliant on evasive maneuvers during low-altitude rescue missions in complex domains.
Officials noted that the absence of such capability “significantly increases the risk of infrared-guided missile engagement, jeopardizing mission success, aircraft survivability, and crew safety.”
“The integration of an AIRCM system is critical to mitigating this threat and ensuring the platform can operate effectively in contested environments,” the US Air Force said.
Responses are due by mid-April, with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center expected to award a contract in the second quarter of fiscal 2027.
Latest HH-60W Action
The HH-60W recently drew attention during the ongoing Middle East conflict between US-Israeli forces and Iran, when several Jolly Greens were deployed for a high-risk extraction mission deep inside Iranian territory to recover a pilot from a downed F-15E Strike Eagle.
During the operation, the aircraft came under attack from Iranian personnel, injuring crew members on at least one helicopter, which still managed to exit the area safely.
