ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., March 4, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The F-15E fighter will continue receiving superior electronic countermeasures (ECM) protection through a $65 million contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force for 28 AN/ALQ-135 Band 1.5 subsystems to Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Defensive Systems Division.
Eleven of the systems have been delivered to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, for installation. The remainder of the contract, which is the third of a five-lot production program, is to be completed by September 2003. The program is managed by the F-15 Development System Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
An internally mounted radar countermeasures system designed and developed for the F-15 fleet, the AN/ALQ-135 has been designated by the Air Force as "mission essential" for all combat F-15Es.
"We have structured full-rate production of the ALQ-135 Band 1.5 to ensure rapid shipment and installation at operational F-15E squadrons worldwide. We are committed to exceeding Air Force requirements as our part of the Air Force Team Eagle," said Joel Brown, vice president, Radio Frequency Electronic Warfare Programs, at Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division.
Band 1.5 subsystems have been successfully installed in F-15Es at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
The AN/ALQ-135 has thousands of hours of combat operations, beginning with Desert Storm and continuing through recent conflicts in the Balkans, Kosovo and Afghanistan without a single aircraft loss due to threats covered by the ECM system.
Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division is a component of the company's Baltimore, Md.-based Electronic Systems sector, a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of defense electronics and systems including airborne radar systems, navigation systems, electronic warfare systems, precision weapons, air traffic control systems, air defense systems, communications systems, space systems, marine systems, oceanic and naval systems, logistics systems, and automation and information systems.
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