Harris to provide SIRFC airborne electronic warfare systems for Special Operations aircraft
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Airborne electronic warfare (EW) experts at Harris Corp. will provide the AN/ALQ-211 Suite Of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures (SIRFC) equipment for U.S. Special Operations Command aircraft under terms of a $100 million order announced Monday.
Officials of the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., are asking the Harris Electronic Systems segment in Clifton, N.J., to provide SIRFC components and services for Special Operations Command's Technology Applications Program Office (TAPO), and the CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft program office.
ALQ-211, a family of electronic self-protection systems, includes the SIRFC, which protects U.S. Special Forces helicopter and tiltrotor aircraft from sophisticated enemy radio frequency (RF) threats. Tiltrotor aircraft take off and land like helicopters, and fly like fixed-wing turboprop aircraft.
The ALQ-211 detects, denies, disrupts, degrades, and evades lethal threats and provides situational awareness for enemy threats involved with RF, infrared, and laser weapons and sensors.
When the aircrew encounters a threat emission, the ALQ-211 establishes the threat range from the mission aircraft, Harris officials say. If an aircraft is in lethal range of a radar-, infrared-, or laser-guided missile, the ALQ-211 can break missile lock through RF and electro-optical countermeasures by cueing chaff and flares.
As the aircraft’s survivability suite controller, the ALQ-211 coordinates the response for laser and infrared threats. The system is integrated into the CV-22 Osprey Special Operations aircraft. It also is fitted to the Norwegian NH 90 multi-mission helicopter, as well as F-16 fighters for Chile, Poland, Pakistan, Turkey and Oman, Harris officials say.
The ALQ-211 works in densely populated hostile environments with mobile air defenses in all weather conditions, during the day, and at night. It is effective against threats hiding in terrain, and that employ adaptive tactics, Harris officials say.
Monday's order increases the maximum of Special Operations Command's original ALQ-211 order from $190 million to $290 million. Harris will do the work in Clifton, N.J., and should be finished by July 2019.
For more information contact Harris Electronic Systems online at www.harris.com/es, or U.S. Special Operations Command at www.socom.mil.
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John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
