The Network Communications Division of Northrop Grumman's Space
& Mission Systems of San Diego, CA, ITT Advanced Engineering
& Sciences, Annapolis Junction, Md. and Sierra Nevada Corp.,
ACM Systems, Sparks, Nev. were awarded $33 million contracts
for the development 14 prototype models of Counter Radio-Controlled
Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW)
systems Spiral 3+ systems. Under the contract, the companies
will produce seven Spiral 3.1 dismounted systems and seven mounted
spiral 3.2 systems each. (More...)
This rapid development and demonstration program is expected
to bridge the capability gap between current and future CREW
systems, addressing new technologies and systems requirements
to meet the evolving threat-based timeline and offer greater
mission flexibility. The development of the Spiral 3 systems
addresses threats evolving threats expected worldwide, beyond
those currently encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Navy
manages the joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of
Defense, Joint IED Defeat Organization. Northrop Grumman is
expected to deliver the systems by June 2009.
Few days after awarding the Spiral 3.x contract, the U.S. Navy
awarded another US$86.5 million procurement order to EDO Communications
& Countermeasures Systems, for the delivery of 1,136 CREW
2.1 RCIED jammers to be delivered by April 2008. The current
order brings the total CREW 2.1 related orders received this
year by EDO to over about US$650 mllion US$ for over 6,500 units,
part of a planned order of 10,000. This recent award represents
the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Program Executive Office
for Littoral and Mine Warfare exercising the options included
in the original contract competitively awarded to EDO on April
6. That contract included options for up to 10,000 units, of
which 8,736 have now been exercised. On September 7, the Department
of Defense announced their intention to award an additional
contract with options for up to 15,000 CVRJ units. If awarded,
this would bring the potential CVRJ units to 25,000. In addition,
on April 13 EDO received a contract for up to 10,000 units of
its MMBJ (Mobile Multi-Band Jammer) version, of which 1,100
have been ordered to date.
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