New Technology Should Hit The Fleet In Four Years

Northrop Grumman Corporation has opened a new electronic-warfare systems-integration laboratory that it says will be used to support the development of the airborne electronic-attack system for the US Navy's EA-18G aircraft. The system is scheduled to begin entering the fleet in 2009.

The company's Bethpage organization, part of the Integrated Systems sector, was selected to be the airborne electronic-attack system integrator for the EA-18G. The lab will enhance Northrop Grumman's four decades of industry leadership in this specialized
business area and is one of the many software laboratories that comprise the company's electronic attack laboratory complex.

"After decades of success with the electronic-warfare capabilities of the EA-6B Prowler, the Navy will transition to the EA-18G to continue our nation's domination of the electronic battle space," said Patricia McMahon, vice president and Integrated Product
Team lead for Electronic Warfare Programs in Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems. "This laboratory will ensure the successful development of the EA-18G and will help reinforce an industry position we've held for decades as the world's leading systems integrator in airborne electronic attack."

The Navy selected a team led by Boeing and Northrop Grumman to build upon the recently introduced improved capability (ICAP) III airborne electronic-attack system, which was developed for the current Prowler fleet, and design a new system for the Prowler's eventual replacement, the F/A-18E/F derivative called the EA-18G. The first ICAP III Prowler was delivered to the Navy this year. The first squadron - VAQ-139 - is now working up to its first deployment. The ICAP III is the latest of five generations of EA-6B airborne electronic-attack systems designed to identify, degrade and destroy enemy radar-guided air defense and communication systems.

"We needed this new laboratory to build on the ICAP III system and its strengths. It is the foundation for the EA-18G and its future capabilities for our Navy customer," said McMahon. "The war on terrorism has shown us that we need to give our forces more tools to negate terrorists' weaponry and their ability to communicate and coordinate using advanced electronics. The ICAP III Prowler does that today, and the EA-18G will do even more in the future."

Using the lab, the EA-18G team will further develop the new electronic-attack technologies now in Northrop Grumman's ICAP III weapon system and integrate them with newly developed airborne electronic-attack weapon-system management capabilities.

Among them is Northrop Grumman's Electronic Warfare Battle Management software, which enables multiplatform, machine-to-machine integration by associating, correlating and fusing tactically significant electronic-warfare data and optimizes the system's rapid
selective-reactive jamming system algorithms, particularly across multiple platforms.

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com