A subsidiary of Raytheon has received an Air Force contract for initial production of the GPS Advanced Digital Antenna Production system.

The ADAP system protects GPS-based navigation and precise timing systems from deliberate jamming and accidental interference.

The Air Force Global Positioning Systems Wing award to Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) provides for 41 antenna electronics and 28 controlled reception pattern antennas to equip U.S. Navy surface platforms and fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

“GPS is a key battlefield enabler, allowing precise location of military assets in a realtime environment; however, it is relatively easy to disrupt the GPS signal due to its extremely low power level. The Raytheon ADAP anti-jam capability works to combat this issue,” Jeremy Cook, Raytheon Systems Limited business development executive, told MSMF. He added, “The Raytheon Systems Limited ADAP anti-jam capability protects the weak points in the modern Network Centric battlefield system while ensuring the continuing function of GPS and maintaining situation awareness in spectrally hostile environments. An ADAP anti-jam equipped asset can get up to 300 times closer to its objective compared to a similar asset equipped with GPS, without the protection of a Raytheon ADAP anti-jam antenna.”

The ADAP system comprises the electronics unit manufactured at the RSL facilities in Harlow and Glenrothes, U.K., and the antenna is manufactured under subcontract by ITT Corp. (formerly EDO) on Long Island, N.Y. Compared to earlier analogue technology, ADAP provides significantly more GPS anti-jam protection against complex jamming scenarios and has been “ruggedized” and qualified for an extended mean time between failure.

Robin Hughes: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Danielle DeSantis: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Successful THAAD Test Intercept

The Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency and Army soldiers from the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Bliss, completed a successful intercept of a ballistic missile target during a test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense element at the Pacific Missile Range Facility.

This was the first salvo mission, with two THAAD interceptors launched against a single separating target, which is a tactical option for the system. As planned in the mission objectives, data indicate the first interceptor destroyed the target while the second interceptor was destroyed by range safety officers.

Key members of the THAAD industry team include Lockheed Martin (prime contractor and integrator), Raytheon (AN/TPY-2 radar) and BAE (missile seeker).

Navy Air and Missile Defense Command Established

The Navy Air and Missile Defense Command was established as the service’s lead organization for naval, joint and combined integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) matters. NAMDC will assess, integrate and synchronize Navy air and missile defense efforts across the spectrum, interfacing with operational commands, resource sponsors, system commands, research organizations, doctrine developers, training organizations and other warfare centers of excellence, and providing operational mission support to the fleet. NAMDC “is one piece of the Navy’s initiative to achieve superior combat capability and assessment through continuous and consistent ownership of individual warfare areas,” Lieutenant Clayton Doss told MSMF. NAMDC will report to commander, U.S. Fleet Forces via commander, U.S. Third Fleet as an echelon IV commander.

Integral Purchases satID Assets

Integral Systems Inc. announced that it has purchased the intellectual property and other assets relating to the satID product line from U.K.-based QinetiQ Group PLC. Satellite operators around the world use satID to geolocate the source of satellite interferers, jammers, and unauthorized users to ensure quality of satellite service. Integral Systems has utilized the satID capability in the RAIDRS program for the Air Force and other Integral Systems offerings. The satID product line and services will become a part of Integral Systems’ Space Communications group.

Technology consultancy and other support services relating to the satID product line will be provided to Integral Systems by QinetiQ in the United Kingdom. This arrangement will allow for continuity of services and support to satID customers, while providing a technology relationship for further development of the satID product line.

Steve Williams, business area manager, described the particular value of this product for DoD customers. “Many aspects are critical to our defense customers. For one, satID adds a strategic technology to our suite of situational awareness products and services related to the satellite communications infrastructure,” he said, and added, “Monitoring and ensuring availability and integrity of communication links increasingly ranks among the highest priorities for the U.S. government and commercial satellite operators. Acquiring and integrating the satID product line enables us to bolster our existing and emerging products to provide the most advanced situational awareness solutions and capabilities to our customers.”

The satID product will be integrated with Integral Systems’ Telemetrix, Compass and Monics products to provide a fully integrated capability to detect, characterize and geolocate the source of satellite uplink communication signals with applications in commercial, military, government and intelligence markets.

Asked about planned upgrades or enhancements to satID, Williams said, “At this point in time, I can’t speak to specific plans and opportunities, but I can say that Integral Systems will continue to develop and structure all of our related product lines to best serve the complex technical, operational and test requirements of our commercial and military customers.”

Kathryn J. Herr: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

USAF Launches GPS IIR-20 Satellite

A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the Air Force’s GPS IIR-20 satellite was successfully launched. After a one-hour, eight-minute flight, the 47th successful GPS satellite launched by a Delta II achieved orbit supporting the nation’s military operations and commercial applications throughout the world.

Trident II (D-5) Fleet Ballistic Missile Contract Award

Alliant Techsystems has received a contract from Lockheed Martin to produce solid rocket propulsion systems for all three stages of the Navy’s Trident II (D-5) Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM). Under terms of the annual contract, ATK will continue to supply Trident solid rocket propulsion systems to the Trident II (D-5) Missile System Prime Contractor, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., through 2011. Deployed in 1990, Trident II (D-5) is the only U.S. submarine-launched strategic missile system in production today.

George Torres: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

USSTRATCOM Awards Contract to SAIC

Science Applications International Corp. was awarded a contract by the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to provide technical assistance and selected support services. This multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options and a ceiling value of $900 million for all awardees. Under the contract, “SAIC will provide technical analysis and studies for programs and strategies as required for USSTRATCOM whose missions include space operations; cyberspace operations; strategic deterrence; combating weapons of mass destruction; global command and control; global strike and integration; information operations; integrated missile defense; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. SAIC may also provide training and engineering services,” read a company statement.

Melissa Koskovich: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Back to Top