Large Aircraft Infrared… (BLI LAIRCM) · Air Force

What it is

Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) is an Air Force procurement line funded in the Aircraft Procurement, Air Force account.

What changed

-$17.0M FY25→26 P-1 TOA · PB2026

Who gets it

No company is linked to this line. Award records do not carry the program element, so the crosswalk is silent here — why.

Budget figures

FY24 Actuals

$26.1MP-1 TOA · PB2026

FY25 Enacted

$52.1MP-1 TOA · PB2026

FY26 Request

$35.2MP-1 TOA · PB2026

FY25→26 Change

-$17.0MP-1 TOA · PB2026

Data coverage

FY2026 award data is a partial year — USAspending reports awards on a rolling basis, and this corpus runs through 2026-09-04. why partial FY2026 data? →

Budget trajectory

The program's 3 summary figures for FY24 to FY26, plotted in fiscal-year order: this line ends higher than it starts. The points are the summary cards above, not a separate derivation; the table beside the chart carries each figure with its own citation.

Budget trajectory: one row per fiscal year, carrying the summary figure the sparkline plots. Every figure opens its own citation.
Fiscal year	Amount
FY24	$26.1M
FY25	$52.1M
FY26	$35.2M

All series figures: P-1 TOA · PB2026

Decade view

P-1/R-1 workbook TOA basis, shown compact in $B/$M (the workbook records USD thousands); each figure cites its own President's Budget edition

5 fiscal years of this program as published (FY2022–FY2026): a line through the actuals (filled dots), with the enacted (hollow circles) and request (diamonds) markers each edition reported. Read it for direction, not for precision — this program's actuals line falls across the span. The grid below is the same data as text, one cited figure per cell.

The vertical scale does not start at zero: the baseline sits just below this program’s smallest year, so a low point on this line is not a small amount. Read the shape for direction and the grid below for the figures.

● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.

Decade series values by fiscal year and President's Budget edition: one row per series (actuals, enacted, request), one column per fiscal year. Every figure opens its own citation.
Series	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25	FY26
Actuals	$57.0M	$44.7M	$26.1M
Enacted	–	$37.3M	$21.7M	$52.1M
Request	–	–	$21.7M	$52.1M	$35.2M

blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.

Asked vs spent: the PB2024 book requested $21.7M for FY2024; the PB2026 book reported $26.1M as actual total obligation authority — $4.34M above the request. 26.07 − 21.72 = 4.35 USD millions — the compact figures above are rounded for reading.

Program lineage

No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.

Description

Description — Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures

The Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system is an evolutionary acquisition program that provides significantly improved defensive systems capability for DOD aircraft to counter the man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and Infrared missile threats. The system is currently installed on over 54 aircraft types and over 1200 aircraft flown by United States Air Force, Navy, and 18 Foreign Military Partners. This system is fully autonomous following power-up and consists of Group A aircraft modification kits and Group B hardware. The current LAIRCM system configuration consists of missile warning sensors (MWS), a laser transmitter assembly, control interface unit and processors to detect, track, jam and counter incoming missiles. The production program maintains a robust reliability program which results in the incorporation of reliability enhancements improving overall producibility, while gaining the inherent benefit of improved long-term sustainment. There are numerous LAIRCM configurations installed on a variety of aircraft, however, all configurations include a processor and a control indicator unit. Configurations can be differentiated by the type of missile warning sensors and laser transmitter assemblies. Funding supports efforts that can include, but are not limited to: Hardware Procurement (Group A and Group B), Installation, Installation Support, Initial Spares, Support Equipment, Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and GFE Repairs, Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) Repairs, Interim Contractor Support (ICS), Depot Standup, Systems Engineering and Program Management (SEPM), Failure Reporting and Corrective Analysis Support (FRACAS), Non-recurring Production Engineering, Software Testing and improvements, Other Government Costs (OGCs), Pre-Planned Product Improvements, Program Support, Simulators/Maintenance Trainers, Software Updates and Data. Funding may be used to address Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) issues. Like most programs, LAIRCM faces the challenges associated with resolving DMS issues and software errors / inefficiencies. These shared costs to maintain the fleet are captured in its own common LAIRCM Program Office support enterprise Mod Number, 8629LC. The LAIRCM program office seeks to ensure continued production of LAIRCM components for all LAIRCM customers. Funding may be used to address DMS issues and software corrections or minor improvements. The LAIRCM DMS program includes all activities associated with monitoring and identifying DMS issues. It also includes all activities required to resolve DMS issues such as: 1) the use of existing material solutions which involves actions to secure availability of existing supply (i.e., life of type buy and extension of production or support); 2) implementing substitutes which includes engineering activities to qualify and implement the identified substitute (i.e., approved part; repair, refurbishment, or reclamation; simple substitute; and complex substitute); and 3) redesign which includes all aspects of engineering and qualification to implement new or highly modified equipment (i.e., development of a new item or source; redesign of a next higher assembly; and redesign of a complex/system replacement). Automated testing effort will establish the automated test environment Mobile Systems Integration Laboratory (MSIL), Virtual Systems Integration Laboratory (VSIL), and Automated Systems Integration Laboratory (ASIL) to establish automated formal qualification testing at the software (Software Formal Qualification Test (SFQT)) and system (Design Verification Test (DVT)) levels for use with fielded and current LAIRCM configuration assets impacted by DMSMS. Automated testing will result in improved software quality, accelerated development cycles, and reduce the risk of introducing bugs or regressions into the codebase. LAIRCM kit quantities purchased are dependent on the unit cost and/or the installation cost of the kits. Additionally, LAIRCM B-kit purchase must lead A-Kit procurement and installation by 24 months. In accordance with Section 1815 of the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 110-181), this item is necessary for use by the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces for homeland defense missions, domestic emergency responses, and providing military support to civil authorities. The FY 2026 request was reduced by $0.655 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative." Funding for this exhibit contained in PE 0401134F.

Justification

Justification — Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures

FY 2026 LAIRCM funding will provide the installation of ten (10) C-130J Block 30 kits and OSA/EA Block 30 Installation support. Remaining funds will support common LAIRCM program office costs; example activities include DMS mitigation, engineering support, and software test automation.

Budget line items(workbook-cited)

P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.

Exhibit P-1

Account	Org	Type	Amount
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force	F	FY24 Actuals	$26.1M
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force	F	FY25 Enacted	$52.1M
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force	F	FY26 Disc. Request	$35.2M
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force	F	FY26 Total	$35.2M

Exhibit P-1R

Account	Org	Type	Amount
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force	F	FY24 Actuals	$2.39M
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force	F	FY25 Enacted	$599.0K

Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)

J-book detail basis (R-2/P-40, USD millions) · PB2026 — a different accounting basis from the P-1/R-1 workbook TOA above; where the two disagree, the reconciliation strip under Budget figures shows both.

Wider than this screen — swipe the table sideways for the remaining fiscal-year columns.

Project	All Prior Years	FY24 Actuals	FY25 Total	FY26 Base	FY26 Request
Program Element	$666.1M	$26.1M	$52.1M	$35.2M	$35.2M

Follow the dollar

No follow-the-dollar view — this program's awards haven't been crosswalked at high confidence (flows cover 312 of 1,938 programs). why coverage is partial? →

Awards

No awards are linked to this program element at high or medium confidence — the budget→award crosswalk only asserts links it can defend, and this line has none yet.

Lobbying mentions

23 mentions from the Senate LDA disclosure database.

BAE SYSTEMS INCAircraft|Infrared2026matched 2+ title words

National Defense Authorization Act, 2027 (HR 8800/S 4784); provisions regarding R&D - Navy, US Marine Corps, Air…

Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures

Budget figures

Budget trajectory

Decade view

Program lineage

Description

Description — Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures source

Justification

Justification — Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures source

Budget line items(workbook-cited)

Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)

Follow the dollar

Awards

Lobbying mentions

Oversight

Program dossier

Primary sources

Budget totals · TOA sources

Detailed budget justification

Description — Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures

Justification — Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures