Northrop Grumman Corporation announced on Friday that the company was awarded a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) U.S. Army contract award worth up to $80 million for the production of the M257 visible spectrum flare, M278 infrared spectrum illuminating flare and the newly designed M278A1 infrared spectrum illuminating flare.
“For decades, we have been an industry-leading provider of high-performance tactical illumination that soldiers rely on. This technology greatly enhances target detection and identification by providing an artificial light that illuminates the battlefield using visible or infrared light,” said Charlie Precourt, Northrup Grumman’s Propulsion Systems vice president.
The company will produce the flares for the General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) used for the U.S. Army’s Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions’ (TAGM) unguided Hydra-70 Rocket System. The flares are designed to supply warfighters with greater tactical battlefield illumination in both the visible and infrared spectra.
Hydra-70 illuminating flares can be fired from multiple rotary and fixed-wing platforms, including the U.S. Army Apache and U.S. Marine Corps Cobra attack helicopters and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon. The flares are also compatible with combat aircraft of numerous nations worldwide.
Northrop Grumman has four decades of illumination technology experience, including the first Hydra-70 illumination rounds, first patented in 1971.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman solves the most challenging problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers worldwide. The company’s 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.
