U.S. Navy U.S. Navy aircraft avionics experts are turning to Telephonics Corp. in Farmingdale, N.Y., to provide as many as 50 identification friend-or-foe (IFF) avionics systems for the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol jet.
Officials of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, N.Y., have announced a $15.1 million contract to Telephonics for a maximum of 50 AN/UPX-43(V)1 Identification Friend or Foe Interrogators (IFFI), 50 IFFI mounting trays, and repairs in support of P-8A Poseidon production lots 9, 10, and 11 for the Navy and U.S. allies.
The AN/UPX-43 is a Mark XIIA monopulse and AIMS-certified IFF interrogator for command and control. The avionics subsystem enables air traffic controllers and air defenders to identify military and civilian aircraft, verify forces as friendly, and determine their bearing and range.
The AN/UPX-43 also provides multi-channel automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). It complies with U.S. and international specifications that define interrogator modes, performance, control, reporting and interface.
Telephonics engineers can upgrade the AN/UPX-43 relatively easily because the system uses common-module hardware and software for the detection, interrogation, identification, tracking and data extraction of small targets in severe environments, company officials say.
Telephonics is the sole designer, developer, and manufacturer of the AN/UPX-43(V)1 shipset for use in the P-8A Poseidon military aircraft — a modified Boeing 737 narrow-body passenger jet optimized for maritime patrol, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare.
Navy officials are awarding the contract to Telephonics sole-source because the company is the only known source with the knowledge of the design, technical data, fabrication, performance, and operational characteristics of the AN/UPX-43(V)1 shipset compatible with the P-8A antenna, airframe infrastructure, and aircraft interfaces, Navy officials say.
On this contract Telephonics will do the work will be performed in Farmingdale, N.Y., and should be finished by November 2021. For more information contact Telephonics online at www.telephonics.com, or the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst at www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/lakehurst.
