NELLIS AFB, Nev. -- Dec. 15, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- U. S. Air Force technicians, assisted by field engineers from Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector (ES3), have successfully completed the first operational installation of an enhanced capability AN/ALQ-135 Band 1.5 electronic countermeasures (ECM) subsystem on an F-15 E fighter aircraft.
An internally mounted radar countermeasures system designed and developed for the Air Force's F-15 fleet, the AN/ALQ-135 has been designated by the Air Force as "mission essential" for all combat F-15's.
"The installation of the Band 1.5 subsystem will significantly improve air crew safety and aircraft survivability under battle conditions," said Bill Ober, vice president-RF Electronic Warfare Programs at Northrop Grumman.
"From a hardware standpoint, the Band 1.5 is more than 70 percent common with the existing Band 3 system to maximize logistics commonality while minimizing support costs. Even more important is the ability to outfit the F-15 E's with the most sophisticated technology available to ensure the safe return of the brave men and women who fly them."
Following installation, the AN/ALQ-135 Band 1.5 was fully tested to verify successful threat countering using Northrop Grumman's virtual system analyzer (VSA), which was designed and developed specifically for the ALQ-13 system. In addition to testing all of the electronic components, the VSA is used to inject threats into the system to ensure operational viability.
The project is managed by the F-15 Development System Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
The AN/ALQ-135 has now operated in more than 6,600 hours of combat, beginning with Desert Storm and continuing through recent operations in the Balkans and Kosovo without a single aircraft loss due to threats covered by the ECM system.
Northrop Grumman ES3, headquartered in Baltimore, Md., is a world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of defense electronics and systems, precision weapons, airspace management systems, space systems, marine systems, logistics systems, and automation and information systems.
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