The Air Force on Monday awarded Raytheon [RTN] the widely-anticipated contract for its future air defense radar known as Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR).
Raytheon prevailed over Northrop Grumman [NOC] and Lockheed Martin [LMT], which also bid for the contract. Raytheon received Monday a $19.5 million fixed-price-incentive-firm contract for the initial engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the program. The contract includes the purchase of three radar systems. The total contract, including all options, is currently estimated at nearly $72 million and includes the procurement of an additional three radar systems for a total of six systems and product support.
Expected completion date for 3DELRR is Oct. 6, 2018, according to the Defense Department.
3DELRR is designed to detect and track hostile aircraft and missiles and will replace Northrop Grumman’s AN/TPS-75 air defense radar. Northrop Grumman offered an S-Band solution called AN/TPS-80 that the company said had the potential to accelerate initial operational capability (IOC) by two years and save more than $1 billion in the process.
Raytheon pitched an open architecture-based C-band, Gallium Nitride (GaN) solution. Lockheed Martin said it made significant investments in 3DELRR to reduce risk and drive affordability, including the design and production of an operational prototype. Gallium Nitride is a semiconductor material that can be used to emit brilliant light in the form of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes, as well as being the key material for next generation high frequency, high power transistors capable of operating at high temperatures.
The Air Force said in August 2013 it expected a contract award by the middle of fiscal year 2014. 3DELRR will provide air controllers with a precise, real-time air picture of sufficient quality to conduct close control of individual aircraft under a wide range of environmental and operational conditions. The Marine Corps is also considering 3DELRR as a replacement for its AT/TPS-59 ballistic missile defense radar.