On April 2/07, BB&T Capital Markets upgraded EDO Corporation to “buy,” in part because they thought EDO was well positioned to win a part of the $200-$500 million Counter- Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) contracts going forward. Those contracts came through, with awards for the system EDO now calls the CVRJ (CREW Vehicle Receiver/Jammer). The Pentagon refers to Spiral 2.1 Vehicle Mounted CREW systems, which are one element of the DoD’s Joint Counter RCIED Electronic Warfare program.
CREW systems are vehicle mounted electronic jammers designed to prevent the remote detonation of land mines. These are often triggered by off-the-shelf technology like cell phones, in order to avoid visible wires. EDO makes the Warlock jammer, a derivative of its earlier “Shortstop” product. If only these devices were as widespread in movie theaters and performance halls.
The US military has been conducting a pair of competitions for defensive warning systems to equip its helicopters and transports. The Army’s CIRCM remains a hot competition as of July 2011, but the US Navy and Marines have picked their winner for the Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS).
This missile and gunfire warning system will equip the services’ MV-22B Osprey, MH-60R/S Seahawk, AH-1Z Viper, UH-1Y Venom and CH-53K HLR platforms, replacing ATK’s AN/AAR-47 Missile Approach Warning System.
June 24/11: The US DSCA announces [PDF] the United Arab Emirates’ formal request for 5 UH-60M Black Hawk VIP helicopters. The move will bring the UAE’s UH-60M fleet to 45 helicopters, which breaks down as at least 17 standard transports, up to 23 modified and armed AH-60M Battlehawks, and 5 VIP helicopters. It will also keep pace with Jordan’s monarchy, which recently bought a pair of UH-60M VIP machines. With nearby Bahrain as a UH-60M customer, and Saudi Arbia submitting a major buy request for the type, the UH-60M is quickly becoming the Gulf Cooperation Council’s referenceable standard.
The estimated cost is $217 million, but actual costs will depend on negotiated contracts. The complete request involves…
The SRCTec CREW Duke system is a vehicle-mounted electronic jammer designed to prevent the remote detonation of land mines. The CREW Duke V2 is the US Army’s CREW 2.0 system, comparable to the Joint CREW (JCREW) 2.1, according to Lisa Mondello, a SRCTec spokesperson. The Duke V3 Upgrade improves the Duke’s capability to the level of the JCREW 3.2 system, she added.
The CREW Duke system was developed to provide US forces protection against a range of land mine threats. The field-deployable CREW Duke system uses jamming technology, and the design has been engineered to keep weight, size, and power requirements at a minimum. CREW Duke mounts into HMMWVs and other military vehicles.
ITT’s AN/ALQ-211 SIFRC system [PDF] provides detection, analysis and protection against radar-guided threats, including triangulation and GPS geolocation of threats, advance warning that may enable a pilot to route around the threat, and cueing of countermeasures like chaff dispensers via integration with the CV-22’s entire self-protection suite. It’s a modular system with multiple sensors and electronic components installed all around a rotary-winged or fixed winged aircraft. Variants of the ALQ-211 SIFRC equip US AFSOCOM’s CV-22s (ALQ-211v2), as well helicopters like SOCOM MH-47s and MH-60s (ALQ-211v6/v7), some NH90s (ALQ-211v5), and AH-64D attack helicopters (ALQ-211v1). Foreign F-16 jet fighters also deploy the ALQ-211, most recently as the ALQ-211v4 AIDEWS integrated defensive system.
A 2005 contract from US Special Operations Command morphed into a much larger contract in 2008, and delivery orders continue…
The 70/30 Elbit/IAI joint venture Elisra Electronic Systems Ltd. recently announced a $29 million contract to supply the Korean Government’s CN-235 transporters with Airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) Suites and Missile Warning Systems (MWS) for its ROKAF CN-235 transports.
The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; the F-35B Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing for the US Marines, British Royal Navy, et. al.; and the F-35C conventional carrier-launched version for the US Navy. The aircraft is named after Lockheed’s famous WW2 P-38 Lightning, and the Mach 2, stacked-engine English Electric (now BAE)Lightning jet. Lightning II system development partners included The USA & Britain (Tier 1), Italy and the Netherlands (Tier 2), and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey (Tier 3), with Singapore and Israel as “Security Cooperation Partners.” Now the challenge is agreeing on production phase membership and arrangements, to be followed by initial purchase commitments in 2009-2010.
This updated article has expanded to feature more detail regarding the F-35 program, including contracts, sub-contracts, and notable events and reports. Recent events and major programs shifts have been added to this article, in order to ensure maximum continuity and context. 2012 developments are covered in this follow-up article.
On Sept 30/10, the US DSCA announced [PDF] Germany’s official request to buy 6 AN/AAQ-24v Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures Systems (LAIRCM) defensive systems, to equip its 2 Airbus A319CJs, and 4 Bombardier Challenger 601 VIP jets. The estimated cost is $146 million, and the prime contractor will be the Northrop Grumman Corporation in Rolling Meadows, IL. Germany already uses LAIRCM systems on its transport fleet, so implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Germany.
If a contract is negotiated, the order could include up to 5 Control Interface Units, 4 System Processors, 32 AAR-54 Missile Warning Systems, and 8 Small Laser Transmitter Assemblies; plus Operation Flight Program software, installation support, some requested modifications, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documents, repair and return, depot maintenance, training and training equipment, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support.
Northrop Grumman Corp. in Rolling Meadows, IL recently received a 5-year $457.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for its APR-39A/B/C Radar Signal Detection Set (RSDS) including upgrade kits; and repair, integration, interim software support and field support. Work is to be performed in Rolling Meadows, IL, with an estimated completion date of Dec 31/14. One bid was solicited with one bid received by U.S. Army CECOM at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (W15P7T-10-D-R802).
APR-39s are used on an array of US Army and Navy helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, and serve to warn pilots when they’re targeted by radar. Platforms with the APR-39 range from C-130 and RC-7s, to attack helicopters like the AH-1 and AH-64, to transport rotaries from the MV-22 and CH-47 to MH-60S and even US Presidential helicopters.
The AN/APR-39Av2 is a basic threat warning system, which acts as a control for a survivability suite that includes a laser warning receiver and an infrared missile warner. The AN/APR-39Bv2 also acts as a full electronic warfare management system, serving as the heart of Northrop Grumman’s Suite of Integrated Sensors and Countermeasures (SISCM). Customers can add onboard sensors as SISCM input, or upgrade existing components. It will automatically detect and identify threat type, bearing and danger levels, then alert the crew to each threat with a graphical symbol in the cockpit multifunction display (MFD) or video display, accompanied by synthetic speech audio threat warnings. It also records what it finds for later analysis, if its aircraft returns. Northrop Grumman release
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Rolling Meadows, IL recently receive an unfinalized contract estimated at $77.7 million for 121 AN/AAQ-24v25 Guardian laser transmitter assemblies for installation on US Navy and USMC CH-53D Sea Stallion, CH-53E Super Stallion, and CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters, including associated technical data. The AAQ-24 Guardian/Nemesis is a next-generation directable laser-based countermeasures system, based on the LAIRCM system for larger aircraft. The idea behind such Directional InfraRed Counter-Measures (DIRCM) systems is to aim appropriately coded laser pulses at an incoming missile’s seeker, decoying it away.
Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, IL (39%); Edinburgh, Scotland (16.8%); Goleta, CA (10%); Blacksburg, VA (9.4%); Boulder, CO (7.1%); Dallas, TX (5.5%); Lewisburg, TN (2%); Apopka, FL (1.8%); Woodland Hills, CA (1.3%); Tampa, FL (1%); Santa Clara, CA (1%); Melbourne, FL (1%); Wheeling, WVA (1%); and various locations throughout the U.S. (3.1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2012. This contract was not competitively procured by the US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River MD (N00019-10-C-0080).
