Northrop Grumman to upgrade electronic attack pods for Air Force

HERNDON, Va., 28 April 2012. The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $52.8 million, 27-month engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract to upgrade its electronic attack (EA) pods. The program has a potential value of $480 million including EMD, a low-rate initial production phase (LRIP) and five production options.

Northrop Grumman's solution, an upgraded ALQ-131 EA pod, is fully capable of operating in support of A-10, C-130, F-15 and F-16 aircraft and aircrews. The ALQ-131 EA is a modernized version of the United States Air Force AN/ALQ-131 jammer pod. A key electronic warfare capability of the new pod is the digital radio frequency memory which is designed to make 4th generation aircraft survivable in a 5th generation air warfare scenario.

The new electronic warfare pod is expected to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) by 2014.

Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 500 digital radio frequency memories which are installed on F-16s and other modern fighter aircraft. The company has more than 60 years of experience in electronic warfare protecting B-1, B-52, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-35 and SR-71 aircraft and aircrews.