ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., March 29, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered the first five production units of an enhanced internal electronic countermeasures system to The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) for use aboard the Republic of Korea's Air Force F-15K, the latest version of the fighter aircraft that began flight testing in early March.
Northrop Grumman's AN/ALQ-135 is a fully automatic, internally mounted electronic combat system that manages and defeats multiple threats simultaneously, prioritizing and neutralizing the most imminent dangers. The latest configuration improves on heritage AN/ALQ-135 systems by replacing multiple processors with a new PowerPC(TM)-based system that offers significant speed and memory enhancements. The AN/ALQ-135M also makes use of sophisticated microwave power module transmitter technology to reduce weight and boost performance.
"The technologically advanced AN/ALQ-135M offers substantial volume reduction, weight savings and reliability improvements over current fielded systems," said Ev Pratt, vice president of radar frequency and combat information systems at Northrop Grumman's defensive systems division. "Not only have we reduced system weight by 63 percent and volume by 71 percent, but we've also increased reliability by an estimated ten times mean time between failures by using our award-winning MPM Ultraband(TM) technology."
Originally developed for the U.S. Air Force, the AN/ALQ-135 is currently fielded on all F-15 aircraft for the Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The AN/ALQ-135 is part of the F-15K's integrated tactical electronic warfare suite, a state-of-the-art electronic warfare protection system designed to give allied pilots software-controlled protection against directed radio frequency threats.
Initial deliveries and installation of the first Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-135M systems are already underway, with deliveries of the remainder of the 40-unit order expected to continue through early 2008.
Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division is a component of Northrop Grumman's Baltimore-based Electronic Systems sector -- a world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of defense and commercial electronic systems, including airborne radar, navigation systems, electronic countermeasures, precision weapons, airspace management systems, communications systems, space sensors, marine and naval systems, government systems and logistic services.