ATK wins key contract to protect US military rotorcraft

 

photo US Marine Corps

21/07/11 By Stephen Trimble SOURCE:Flight International

Alliant Techsystems (ATK) has won a contract to develop a new missile and gunfire warning system to be installed on thousands of US military rotorcraft, starting with the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey.

The $109 million contract awarded to ATK on 20 July launches the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the joint and allied threat awareness system (JATAS) programme. It means ATK, which currently supplies AAR-47 warning systems, beat Lockheed Martin to remain the navy's key supplier for such critical survivability equipment.

JATAS is scheduled to enter service after a four-year development phase in fiscal year 2015 on the MV-22 operated by the US Marine Corps. Installations will also follow on the Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y, and Sikorsky CH-53K and MH-60R/S Seahawk.

The system is also expected to be installed on thousands of US Army helicopters. The service is developing another technology - counter-infrared countermeasures (CIRCM) - to jam the heat-seeking sensors of incoming missile rounds. The army plans to use JATAS as the warning system, and the navy will likewise rely on CIRCM to defeat missiles detected by JATAS.

The navy asked the JATAS competitors to develop more than a missile warner. The system adds the ability to detect incoming bullets or rocket-propelled grenades and indicate the general direction of the source of the attacks.

A key partner on the ATK team is BAE Systems. About 40% of the work under the contract will be performed at BAE's electronic warfare systems complex in Nashua, New Hampshire, according to the contract award notice. BAE is also one of five competitors for the army's CIRCM programme.

The navy selected ATK and Lockheed nearly two years ago to compete in the final round of the JATAS competition. They received contracts worth $32 million and $33 million, respectively.