Australia and the US order E/A-18 joint tactical terminal-receivers from DRS

EA-18G Growler aircraft. (photo US Navy)

26 January 2015 airforce-technology.com

DRS Technologies has been awarded a contract to supply joint tactical terminal-receivers (JTT-R) systems to the Australian Defence Force and the US Navy.

Under the $12m indefinite-delivery / indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, the Finmeccanica subsidiary will manufacture and supply up to 180 JTT-Rs for installation onboard the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) and the US Navy's EA-18 Growler aircraft.

The foreign military sales contract was awarded by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division. The agreement combines purchases for the navy and the Australian Government, and covers JTT-R production engineering, test set racks, fixtures, and tooling.

DRS Technologies C4ISR business group president Sally Wallace said: "It's critical threat, targeting and mission planning data provides improved communications for delivering a distinct advantage to the US Navy and Australian Growler aviators flying the most advanced naval airborne electronic attack platform in the world."

The JTT-R has been developed since 2009. It is an ultra-high-frequency receiver, and is designed to provide near real-time, over the horizon threat data for situational awareness and assessment, as well as threat avoidance, targeting, mission planning and communications.

In particular, the receiver presents critical situational awareness information to the user by receiving near real-time threat, survivor and Blue Force Tracking data through integrated broadcast service and common interactive broadcast waveforms over UHF satellite communications links.

JTT-R serves as a replacement to the conventional multi-mission advanced tactical terminal (MATT) that is nearing end-of-life with the impending transition to the common interactive broadcast waveform.

A derivative of the combat-proven F/A-18F Super Hornet Block II aircraft, the EA-18G Growler is an airborne electronic attack that can disrupt or jam a range of military electronics systems, including radars and communications systems.

The aircraft's primary missions are electronic attack and suppression of enemy air defences, particularly at the start and on-going early stages of hostilities.