BAE Systems gets anti-missile tech deal for Army

BAE Systems plc won a five-year contract from the Army to build 484 Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures and Common Missile Warning Systems that provide missile warning and directable jamming capabilities to defend aircraft.

BAE Systems plc won a five-year contract from the Army for up to 484 Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures and Common Missile Warning Systems, officials of the Hampshire, United Kingdom, company announced today.

"These systems take advantage of recent technology advances to provide a superior missile warning and directable jamming system to defend Army aircraft against hostile missiles," said Conrad Struckman, program manager for BAE Systems' Information & Electronic Warfare Systems in Nashua, N.H.

Under the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract, BAE Systems will provide initial production, associated spares, test equipment and technical support. The contract is worth up to $484 million, Struckman said.

The systems have a modular design, which allows the Army to field the Common Missile Warning Systems first, and add the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures portion later.

The first delivery order under the contract was awarded Sept. 10 for 50 Common Missile Warning Systems for use in protecting Army aircraft against guided missiles. The delivery order was worth $27.8 million, according to BAE Systems officials.

The Common Missile Warning Systems work with advanced flare dispensers, automatically detecting incoming missiles and employing countermeasures to confuse enemy missiles. The Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures portion tracks an incoming missile, steering a beam of modulated jamming energy onto the missile seeker.

Together, the systems evaluate the entire threat missile environment and select the appropriate aircraft response to counter a missile, according to BAE Systems officials. The systems are planned for use aboard fixed wing and rotor-wing aircraft, according to the company.

BAE Systems designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics and guided weapon systems. The company employs more than 90,000 people and has annual revenue more than $20 billion.