The Marine Corps has awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a $207 million contract for the low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems, the company said Tuesday.
Northrop Grumman is to deliver the LRIP in 2016-2017 and it anticipates additional LRIP and multiyear, full-rate production, according to a company news release. The total program value of G/ATOR could surpass $2 billion, it added.
G/ATOR is a ground-based multimission active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that is being developed to provide air surveillance, air defense, ground weapon locating, and air traffic control capabilities. G/ATOR also demonstrated an ability to reliably detect high-speed rocket and missile systems, Northrop Grumman said.
“G/ATOR will fundamentally change how the Marines deploy and fight,” Jeffrey Palombo, vice president and general manager of Land and Self protection Systems Division at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, said. “Evidenced by the mission capabilities proven during operational testing, the Marines will have an unprecedented degree of protection and situational awareness.”
The Marine Corps awarded the contract after multiple layers of testing were completed including one year of developmental testing, a formal Marine Corps operational assessment, and a 2013 detailed production readiness review.