NEW YORK, 6 Sept. 2005. L-3 Communications announced today that its Electron Devices division has received an order from Northrop Grumman Corp. to supply the Wide Band Klystron Power Amplifier (WBKPA) for the E-3 Sentry's Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
The order, valued at $7.9 million, is an option exercise of a previously awarded basic year procurement contract. The combined value of the executed orders to date is $10.6 million, with anticipated future options that could increase the total procurement to over $16 million.
L-3 has worked extensively with Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force at both Hanscom Airfield and Tinker Air Force Base to develop, qualify and produce a WBKPA that provides the frequency coverage of the two narrow chain klystrons currently in use in the E-3 Sentry radar system.
L-3's new klystron will provide improved reliability, system redundancy and simplified logistics. The WBKPA is integral to the radar subsystem, which provides all-weather surveillance and command, control and communications (C3) functions needed by commanders of U.S. and NATO air defense forces.
The E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft is built by Boeing Defense & Space Group, and designed to carry out airborne surveillance and C3 functions for both tactical and air defense forces. The E-3 Sentry look-down radar has a 360-degree view of the horizon, and at operating altitudes has a range of more than 320 km. The radar can detect and track air and sea targets simultaneously. In a tactical role, the E-3 Sentry can detect and track hostile aircraft operating at low altitudes over any terrain and can identify and control friendly aircraft in the same airspace. In the strategic defense role, the E-3 Sentry provides the means to detect, identify, track and intercept airborne threats.
The primary radar housed in the rotodome is the Northrop Grumman AN/APY-1/2 AWACS radar. Its transmitters, computers and display stations are housed within the fuselage. The radar is multi-mode, using powerful interleaving and de-interleaving algorithms. Its main operating modes are: pulse Doppler non-elevation scan (PDNES) mode for surveillance of airborne targets; pulse Doppler elevation scan (PDES) mode to determine the target elevation; beyond-the-horizon pulse radar mode for long-range targets; receive-only mode for passive operation; maritime mode, which uses very short pulse width for the detection of surface ships, and standby mode.
"The success of this program is a demonstration of L-3's commitment, dedication and perseverance to providing the modern warfighter with the leading-edge technology required to maintain a position of superiority throughout the world," said Jim Benham, president of L-3 Electron Devices. "This order is the culmination of many years of rigorous development by a distinguished staff of scientists, engineers, designers, program managers and operations personnel working in close cooperation with the U.S. Air Force."
L-3 Electron Devices is a supplier of microwave power devices to all major prime contractors on key military programs, including missile seekers, aircraft navigation and landing systems, airborne and ground radars and electronic warfare and communications systems. The company also supplies transmitter tubes to the broadcast television industry. L-3 Electron Devices has offices in San Carlos, Calif., and Williamsport, Pa. For more information, see www.L-3Com.com/edd.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a leading provider of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization, training, and government services. The company is a leading merchant supplier of a broad array of high technology products, including guidance and navigation, sensors, scanners, fuzes, data links, propulsion systems, simulators, avionics, electro optics, satellite communications, electrical power equipment, encryption, signal intelligence, antennas and microwave components. L-3 also supports a variety of Homeland Security initiatives with products and services. Its customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, selected U.S. Government intelligence agencies and aerospace prime contractors. For more information, see www.L-3Com.com.
