Northrop Grumman to Produce More Airborne Electronic Attack Systems

Northrop Grumman, BETHPAGE: The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a sole-source, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract for full-rate production acquisition of new EA-6B Prowler Improved Capability (ICAP) III systems. 
 
Under this contract, the Navy has made an initial $73 million purchase for four complete systems, another partial system and spares. These first kits purchased under this contract will be delivered in 2008. The ICAP III is the latest of five generations of EA-6B airborne electronic-attack systems designed to identify, degrade and destroy enemy radar-guided air defense and communication systems. 
 
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector is the prime contractor for the EA-6B Prowler ICAP III system and will perform services under this contract at its Bethpage facility. Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector manufactures the ALQ-218 receiver subsystem in Baltimore, Md. ALQ-218 and the sophisticated algorithms developed to make ICAP III selective-reactive jamming and geolocation capabilities possible are the primary new features in ICAP III Prowlers. 
 
Prowler aircraft are a high-demand, low-density military asset, and are heavily used in the global war on terror. The Navy requires a minimum of 21 ICAP III-equipped Prowlers for its inventory. The Navy will procure all additional ICAP III systems under this ID/IQ contract. 
 
This purchase is the second lot of ICAP III systems bought by the Navy. The company will likewise modify fleet Prowlers to install the kits under a separate contract, yet to be awarded. 
 
The company has already delivered 10 Prowler aircraft modified with the new ICAP III system supporting two fleet squadrons and one fleet readiness squadron of the Electronic Attack Wing in Whidbey Island, Wa. 
 
The Navy reached initial operational capability with the first squadron of four aircraft in early 2005 and that squadron has since deployed to support operations in Iraq. A second squadron became operational last summer and recently completed Technical Evaluation of the new Multifunction Information Distribution (MIDS) system. MIDS, which features the U.S. military's primary data-link system, Link 16, will enable ICAP III Prowlers to become key nodes in the Navy's Sea Power 21 FORCEnet architecture.  
 
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With approximately 125,000 employees and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.