Cobham has secured a low rate initial production (LRIP) award from Lockheed Martin for the production of antenna array panel assemblies (AAPAs).
The AAPAs are designed for use in the Block II configuration of the US Navy’s surface electronic warfare improvement program (SEWIP).
Cobham Integrated Electronic Solutions senior vice-president and general manager Jim Barber said: "Our technical expertise and decades of experience in RF antennas / arrays and electronic subsystems used in critical DoD applications have positioned us for this win.
"Cobham’s interferometer-based array technology greatly enhances the SEWIP Block II program’s detection and reporting accuracy against modern threat systems and improves overall shipboard combat effectiveness."
The navy’s SEWIP programme is aimed to upgrade existing out-of-production AN / SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare systems.
Work under this contract will be carried out by Cobham Integrated Electronic Solutions, a unit of Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions, in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, US.
SEWIP Block II configuration is the latest upgrade in the navy’s effort to improve shipboard electronic warfare system.
It offers new defensive technologies and functional capabilities, including improved electronic support receivers and combat system interfaces.
The contracting activity for the SEWIP Block II procurement is managed by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC.
In March, the US Navy awarded a $267m contract to Northrop Grumman to develop and manufacture the next-generation SEWIP Block III system.
As part of the contract, the company will provide significant improvements for the shipboard AN / SLQ-32 electronic warfare attack system.
