Boeing has awarded BAE Systems a $58 million contract to start Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) for the U.S. Air Force, BAE Systems reported on Tuesday.
“The start of EPAWSS production marks a critical milestone and is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our industry team,” said Jerry Wohletz, vice president and general manager of Electronic Combat Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our technology is cutting-edge, our factories are world-class, and our people are innovative and mission-focused.”
BAE Systems will deliver updates to the EPAWSS flight software with new geolocation and threat identification capabilities during the program’s Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase.
The electronic warfare (EW) and countermeasures system will deliver advanced electromagnetic capabilities to protect and enable pilots to maintain air superiority throughout missions. EPAWSS will allow pilots to monitor, jam and deceive threats in contested airspace.
The system has leveraged multispectral sensors and countermeasures, signal processing, microelectronics and intelligent algorithms to deliver fully integrated radar warning, situational awareness, geolocation and self-protection capabilities.
BAE Systems has also demonstrated EPAWSS’ hardware maturity and manufacturing readiness. The company has invested more than $100 million in EW laboratories and factories, and has grown its workforce of experts.
"The LRIP milestone is the culmination of years of hard work by a lot of great people within the government and our Boeing and BAE Systems industry partners. EPAWSS will significantly improve the survivability and utility of the F-15, and will be a great complement to what is already a very capable and lethal aircraft," said F-15 EPAWSS program manager Lt Col Dan Carroll.
Work on the EPAWSS program will occur at BAE Systems facilities in Nashua, N.H.; Austin, Texas; and Totowa, N.J.
