The next several years will see ongoing development and production of a wide variety of airborne defense electronics systems to meet both pressing active military needs and the demands of an evolving threat environment. For this reason, the electronic warfare segment of defense electronics will see perhaps some of the biggest advancements in this market segment.

The U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler’s APG-79 radar is expected to allow the crew to focus the synthetic aperture radar on an emitter source area to get a better fix on what is producing the signal and make targeting decisions.Credit: U.S. NAVY

New threats, such as advances in enemy air defense systems, are changing not only the mission of EW systems, but also development plans. But nowhere is the focus on technology to counter new threats more pronounced than in the area of electronic attack (EA), with several important systems and platforms in various stages of play to meet this rising demand.

In the face of this new threat environment, military planners are looking beyond satisfying immediate needs to the whole, defense-wide EA picture. By the middle of the next decade, a typical EA battlespace scenario may include the use of a wide variety of assets in a layered approach of tactics. With flying platforms such as Compass Call and Rivet Joint providing local support, EA-18G Growlers would escort attack aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35 to their ultimate goals while disrupting or destroying the enemy’s ability to communicate.

In this atmosphere, the F-35 is also growing into a potentially key part of the EW puzzle. Planners are looking into ways of using the fighter’s long-range active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to perform some broad-frequency EA functions, such as damaging electrical components and sensors.

Another program that may also provide a major boost to the future EA plan is the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 Stand-Off Jammer. While this off-again, maybe-on-again jamming program was canceled more than three years ago, there has been no end of serious talk and funding directed toward resurrecting the effort under a new name, the Core Component Jammer (CCJ).

Although total funding for a truly resurrected B-52 EW program, as of late last year, has not been finalized, substantial funding will continue to be spent on research. Boeing was awarded a $14.9-million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory last June to develop technologies to enable airborne EA from long distances. The work includes systems engineering studies focused on potential pod installation on the B-52 to defeat air defenses and early warning radar.

The latest developments for CCJ include a sharpening of the nature and role of the technology and the total number of bombers to be used. Pods for the B-52 are expected to feature high-power phased arrays to provide jamming in two low bands and one mid band. As part of a crucial cost-cutting effort, the number of B-52s to be used in a potential jamming mission has been revised downward from the entire force to around 24 aircraft. Adding to the importance of this program, military planners are looking into ways of incorporating the CCJ technology into other aircraft such as the venerable C-130-based Compass Call.

While CCJ provides a glimpse of how the U.S. is looking toward new applications to increase its EA capabilities, older platforms such as the EA-6B Prowler indicate the evolution of existing assets will be an ongoing priority as long as there is an immediate need. As a vital part of the Navy’s EA vision of the future, the EA-6B Prowler and its replacement—the EA-18G Growler—will continue to rely on the ALQ-99 jamming system into the next decade. While the ALQ-99 will continue to be produced for these two major applications, the Navy is pursuing the development of a new, yet-to-be-announced system.

The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command last June awarded a $40-million contract to BAE Systems to procure 24 low-band transmitters, 22 V-Pol antennas, 24 H-Pol antennas, 16 Band 2 adapter interface assemblies, and spare and repair parts for the ALQ-99 for the EA-6B application. Work on this contract is expected to be completed in January 2012.

Also last June, the first production EA-18G was formally delivered to the Navy. Combining the F/A-18F Block 2 Super Hornet with the Northrop Grumman ICAP III Advanced Electronic Attack/ALQ-218 Selective Reactive Receiver suite and ALQ-99 jamming pods, the next-generation jamming aircraft will replace the EA-6B in 2013. The first Growlers have gone to VAQ-129, the Fleet Replacement Squadron at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash., which will be used to train pilots and maintainers as the Navy transitions to the EA-18G. VAQ-129 is scheduled to receive 12 of its 16 EA-18Gs by by this spring.

Military planners believe the Growler will be a major boost to situational awareness over the battlefield. The ALQ-218 and advanced APG-79 AESA radar will put much more information at the aircrew’s fingertips. By combining what is available from Growlers and other sensors on the battlefield, near-total situational awareness is possible.

The new receiver’s new location—in the wingtip pods—is expected to enhance this awareness. This new location should eliminate the blocking problem that resulted when the receivers were mounted in the “football” on top of the EA-6B’s tail. The APG-79 radar further enhances the ability to develop a picture of the environment. Once an emitter is seen by the receivers, the crew can focus the synthetic aperture radar on the source area to get a better fix on what is producing the signal and make targeting decisions.

As the Growler’s total deployment grows nearer, work will continue on advancing the EW capabilities of another tactical fighter. To provide better protection against advanced surface- and air-launched missiles, USAF is upgrading the F-15 Eagle’s EW capability. Northrop Grumman’s ALQ-135 is an important part of the F-15 Tactical Electronic Warfare System, which will improve radar warning receiver, jamming and countermeasures dispensing functions.

Even though the long-term desirability of the F-15 may be diminishing, sales are still possible, especially if the F-22 continues to be unavailable on the international market and delays continue for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Because the ALQ-135 is specifically designed for the F-15, it has not been entered in competitions for other aircraft. Likewise, it faces little competition to equip F-15s. New orders for F-15s may ensure new production of the ALQ-135. Northrop Grumman last June received a $74.6-million contract to provide 21 ALQ-135M electronic combat systems for the South Korean air force F-15K.

ITT’s ALQ-214 was designed for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and the platform remains its primary avenue of sales. The U.S. will purchase 270 ALQ-214s for its Super Hornet fleet over the next 10 years. In addition, Australia will purchase 24 F/A-18Fs as a stopgap measure until the F-35 is ready for service. Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornets will receive the ALQ-214, making the country the second international customer for the system. Poland has also purchased the ALQ-214, installing it on F-16s.

Furthermore, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command last September awarded ITT a $55.7-million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for 32 ALQ-214 units for 13 F/A-18 E/F aircraft for the U.S. Navy and 19 aircraft for Australia. Deliveries of Australia’s F/A-18Fs are scheduled to begin in 2011.

In terms of the electro-optical sector, sales of military EO systems will be abundant and diverse. Since most airframes will be equipped with at least one piece of EO hardware, more than 10,000 systems are expected to be sold in the next decade. Important military avionics categories include fire control systems, infrared countermeasures, laser warning receivers, minefield detection systems, missile warning systems, targeting pods, thermal imaging equipment and night vision goggles. Some avionics sales will support platform modernization efforts, while others will be incorporated into new fixed-wing, rotary-wing and unmanned aerial vehicle airframes.

Driving EO technology development are intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needs. Military planners are clamoring for ISR assets for close-air support, battlefield surveillance, target acquisition data collection and battle damage assessment.

Traditionally, the mission of targeting pods was to locate, identify and designate targets from safe standoff ranges. More recently, platforms equipped with targeting pods are being used to support ISR missions. The pods combine targeting and navigation forward-looking infrared (Flir) sensors with a laser rangefinder, target designator, laser marker, laser spot tracker and EO sensor in a single unit. Some vendors offer “plug and play” versatility, which allows pods to be used across platforms without aircraft modifications.

Manufacturers have modernized their designs, allowing pod imagery and data to be downloaded to ground units. Future improvements will include faster data transfers and two-way communications. Several corporate giants have entries in this market, including the Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, Raytheon’s Advanced Targeting Forward-Looking Infrared pod, the Northrop Grumman/Rafael Armament Development Authority’s Litening AT/G4 pod and the Thales Damocles pod. Approximately $2.4 billion is forecast to be spent on these systems in the next decade.

As Boeing continues to produce its AH-64D Apache and Apache Longbow helicopters, avionics manufacturers will reap the benefits. The Lockheed Martin Arrowhead or Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor will enjoy brisk sales. Arrowhead has Flir sensors for pilotage and targeting. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $172-million Arrowhead contract in January 2008 for Lot 5 production, which is scheduled to be completed by September 2011.

Of constant concern to aircraft integrators are space and weight issues. These concerns led Northrop Grumman to combine more than a dozen communications, navigation and identification functions into a single, space-saving unit. CNI technology is being incorporated into the F-22 and F-35, and most likely will be in future platforms. Close to $1 billion is expected to be spent on CNI systems in the next decade unless production for these aircraft is slashed.

In terms of volume, night vision goggles and radios are two of the most frequently purchased items. Contractors include ITT Night Vision and Insight Technology, while ITT Communications Systems, Raytheon and Rockwell Collins dominate the U.S. airborne radio market. The most popular U.S. radios are the ITT Communications ARC-201 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System, the Raytheon ARC-231 Skyfire radio system and the Rockwell Collins ARC-210 V/UHF radio.

The radio market will continue to be influenced by the U.S. Joint Tactical Radio System program. The JTRS program supports all military branches, with the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station (AMF) segment addressing airborne platforms. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $766-million contract last March for initial system development and demonstration under AMF JTRS. Chief AMF JTRS teammates are BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. Funds will continue to be allocated for prototype testing and qualification efforts, initial production and full-rate production.