The US Navy has awarded a $48m contract to ATK to produce and deliver the AAR-47 missile warning system, which is designed to safeguard military aircrew and aircraft from missile attacks.
As part of the production contract, the company will manufacture new assemblies, including optical sensor converters and computer processors.
The award also comprises options to retrofit and upgrade weapon replaceable assembly and delivery of ATK’s countermeasures signal simulator (CSS) to help in testing the system’s operational ability.
Developed as an electronic warfare system to protect helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from surface-to-air threats, the combat-proven AAR-47 is a single missile warning system that integrates missile, laser and hostile fire threat warning.
ATK Defense Electronic Systems vice president and general manager Bill Kasting said: "ATK’s AAR-47 aircraft survivability system is installed on all US Navy and Marine Corps helicopters and transport aircraft operating in combat and continues to save numerous aircrew lives and aircraft from attack."
Equipped with hostile fire indication (HFI) capability, the AAR-47 enables military aircrew to detect an array of threats, including small-calibre weapon fire and rocket propelled grenades to their aircraft during flight.
Naval Air Systems Command PMA-272 Aircraft Survivability Equipment Branch deputy programme manager Keith Taylor said: "The AAR-47continues to provide the warfighter with a reliable, battle-proven, low-cost, missile and laser warning capability."
The missile warning system is installed on all of the US and allied forces’ fixed and rotary-wing aircraft operating in more than 16 countries.
The aircraft include the A-10 Thunderbolt II, C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster, C-130 Hercules, MC-12W Liberty, P-3 Orion, CH-53 Sea Stallion, CH-46 Sea Knight, HH/SH-60 Seahawk, AH-1W/Z SuperCobra, UH-1N/Y Twin Huey and MV-22 Osprey.
