By Geoff Fein
The Navy last week awarded ATK [ATK] and Lockheed Martin [LMT] $30 million each to design, develop and demonstrate a prototype for an advanced missile warning system to be installed on Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, according to the service.
ATK was awarded a $32.2 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the Technology Demonstration Phase for the Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS).
Lockheed Martin was awarded a $33.1 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for JATAS.
“JATAS will provide the next generation of infrared-based common missile and laser warning sensors to protect the fleet of Navy and Marine Corps assault aircraft from man- portable air defense systems. Lockheed Martin’s proven hostile fire indicator capability, coupled with unrivaled missile warning technology, will provide Warfighters with a JATAS system capable of warning them about hostile fire from the ground, surface-to-air missiles and laser guided threats,” a Lockheed Martin spokesman told Defense Daily yesterday..
This is a fantastic win for ATK and its partner BAE Systems, Jack Cronin, president, ATK mission systems, told Defense Daily yesterday.
“This is a case when industry really comes together to do things that sometimes our customers couldn’t,” he said “It’s about our two companies working a program that will ultimately provide a tremendously advanced capability in warning as well as hostile fire indication for both Army, Navy and Marine Corps helicopters.”
The idea behind the teaming is that it will enable both ATK and BAE to bring the best of their technologies (the AN/AAR-47 and -57 missile warning systems, respectively) together, Cronin said.
He added the team will also bring a very advanced open architecture to provide software to its customers, as well as adding a substantially improved sensor system. “Ultimately, this program will allow each of our companies to go forward and upgrade the helicopters quickly,” he said.
Cronin said ATK and BAE are going to be able to upgrade systems for either customer with no change of footprints on the helicopters. BAE will be working with the Army and ATK the Navy, and the two companies will go forward that way as a team, he added.
Work on the effort is expected to be completed in January 2011.
According to Cronin, the first JATAS will go on a MV-22.
In 11 months from the contract award, the Navy will conduct field and lab tests to measure missile warning capability and hostile fire indication of each contractor’s prototype, according to the solicitation (N00019-08-R-0043).
The Navy issued its 126-page final request for proposal (RFP) in January 2009. Responses were due in March. Navy reported three bids were received for JATAS.
According to the 2008 solicitation, “the objective of the JATAS effort is to develop, demonstrate and procure a cost effective threat awareness system to enhance aircraft survivability by providing advanced missile warning capability; aircrew warning of laser-based weapon systems such as range finders, illuminators, and beam riders; and a Hostile Fire Indication for small arms, rockets, and other threats. JATAS must interface with existing AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing System (CMDS), and be capable of interfacing with a laser based Directed Infrared Countermeasure as part of electronic countermeasures response to attacking infrared missiles. The JATAS will be controlled by the host aircraft’s mission computer with operator interface/control being accomplished via the multifunctional display or a separate control indicator. In most cases, command and control of the JATAS will be through the AN/APR-39A/B(V)2 Radar Signal Detecting Set (RSDS).”
According to the solicitation, “this anticipated JATAS contract will include supporting the integration of JATAS onto the MV-22B lead platform and developing the interfaces necessary to deploy JATAS to other rotary wing platforms. The JATAS effort will include (but not be limited to) the fabrication of test articles, support for aircraft integration testing and systems integration laboratory development, support for live fire testing, and providing support for attendant data reduction for the integration/live fire tests. The JATAS contractor will develop supporting logistics documentation, support the definition of software sustainment requirements and software facility development, and conduct program management, engineering management, and configuration management throughout the JATAS program.”
According to the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s fiscal year ’10 budget documents JATAS will be the Army’s primary missile warning, laser (weapon) warning and hostile fire warning system for cueing counter measures dispensing systems.