Harris to provide sophisticated EW jamming systems for combat aircraft

Electronic warfare (EW) experts at Harris Corp. will provide the U.S. Navy and Australian air force with 86 sophisticated EW jamming systems designed to protect combat aircraft from incoming radar-guided missiles. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., have announced a $161 million order to the Harris Corp. Electronic Systems segment (formerly Exelis Inc.) in Clifton, N.J., to build 86 full-rate production lot 15 AN/ALQ-214A(V)4/5 integrated defensive electronic countermeasures jammer systems for the F/A-18C/D and F/A-18E/F Hornet and Super Hornet jet fighter-bombers. The AN/ALQ-214A(V)4/5 is an electronic jammer component of the integrated defensive electronic counter measures system (IDECM) from a joint venture of Harris and BAE Systems. It protects F/A-18 fighter-bombers from radar-guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles by jamming the enemy missile guidance systems. The ALQ-214 component of the IDECM EW system has been delivered to the U.S. Navy, as well as to the Royal Australian Air Force for contemporary versions of the Boeing F/A-18 fighter-bomber. The system blends sensitive receivers and active countermeasures to form an electronic shield around the aircraft, Harris officials say.