VAN NUYS, Calif., 5 Feb. 2008. Engineers from the ITT Corp. Radar Systems–Gilfillan segment in Van Nuys, Calif. are starting low-rate initial production of a program to upgrade the U.S. Navy's AN/SPS-48 radar system, which Gilfillan designed in the 1980s.

Gilfillan is working under terms of an $18 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in Washington as part of the AN/SPS-48 Radar Obsolescence, Availability Recovery (ROAR) program.

ITT received $14.2 million following a critical resign review in October. To date, ITT earned $57 million for the NAVSEA ROAR program to keep the AN/SPS-48 systems in service until at least 2045.

ITT's AN/SPS-48 radars were first introduced into the fleet in the mid-1980s as part of the New Threat Upgrade program on aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers. ROAR will lessen total cost of ownership by reducing the impact of obsolescence in major subassemblies, and increase fleet readiness by improving operational availability.

ITT will deliver the first three of 36 AN/SPS-48 ROAR production systems in late 2010, and the other two in 2011. For more information contact ITT-Gilfillan online at www.gilfillan.itt.com.