ATK/BAE Systems team wins Navy downselect to build JATAS missile-protection system for helicopters

PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md., 24 July 2011. U.S. Navy leaders last week gave the go-ahead to the Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) Defense Electronics Systems segment in Clearwater, Fla., to begin full-scale development of a next-generation missile-warning system for Navy and Marine Corps assault support helicopters. Alliant Techsystems won a $109.2 million contract from U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., for engineering and manufacturing development of the Joint and Allied Threat Awareness System (JATAS).The JATAS missile-protection system has been under development by a team of ATK Defense Electronic Systems and the BAE Systems Electronic Solutions segment in Nashua, N.H. Navy officials chose the ATK/BAE Systems JATAS over a competing version developed by a team of the Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control segment in Orlando, Fla.; DRS Infrared Technologies in Dallas; and Goodrich ISR Systems in Danbury, Conn.JATAS is designed to protect Navy and Marine Corps helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft from enemy shoulder-fired missiles. The system detects incoming missiles, warns aircraft crews of the threat, and cues onboard countermeasures to fool incoming missiles and make them miss their targets.

The missile-protection system, which is designed to replace the ATK AN/AAR-47 Missile Approach Warning System, will go on the MV-22B tiltrotor aircraft, MH-60R, MH-60S, UH-1Y utility helicopters, the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter, and the AH-1Z SuperCobra attack helicopter. Not only will JATAS protect military helicopters from shoulder-fired missiles, but it also will detect laser-guided weapons and hostile fire from small arms and rockets.

The chose the ATK/BAE Systems JATAS version after ATK and Lockheed Martin completed the technology demonstration phase of the program and completed prototype flight demonstrations. ATK and Lockheed Martin won JATAS technology development contracts in September 2009.

The ATK/BAE Systems team will do the work on JATAS full-scale development in Nashua, N.H.; Woodland Hills, Calif.; Clearwater, Fla.; Danbury, Conn.; Melbourne, Fla.; Dallas; and other sites in the U.S., and should be finished by 2015.

For more information contact ATK Defense Electronics Systems online at www.atk.com, BAE Systems Electronic Solutions at www.baesystems.com/Businesses/ElectronicSolutions, or Naval Air Systems Command at www.navair.navy.mil.

Related stories

-- ATK, BAE Systems team wins $32.2 million contract to develop Joint Allied Threat Awareness System for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps;

-- Next-generation aircraft self-protection avionics job goes to ATK and Lockheed Martin; and

-- Counter-MANPADS for commercial aircraft, where'd it go? .