US Navy awards $80 million contract to prototype Advanced Electronic Warfare for F/A-18 fighter jet

News, US December 25, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The United States Navy has awarded defense manufacturer Raytheon (RTX) a $80 million contract to prototype Advanced Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter jet.

The ADVEW prototype would be “a replacement for the existing AN/ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasure and AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver with a consolidated solution that will deliver superior electronic warfare capabilities to the backbone of the Navy’s carrier air wing,” according to the RTX statement.

Raytheon’s Advanced Electronic Warfare solution aims to enhance performance by “modernizing existing electronic warfare systems into fewer components and adopting a government-defined open architecture,” the RTX statement added.

The development of this innovative solution will seamlessly integrate with other battle-tested radio frequency sensors and effectors employed by the Super Hornet fighter jet.

The ADVEW will ensure that F/A-18E/F jets maintain their operational electronic warfare advantage, while substantially enhancing their survivability against sophisticated and complex threats.

*^{U.S. F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets flying above U.S. aircraft carrier. (Image Credit: U.S. Navy)}*

President of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon, Bryan Rosselli said, “These advancements are paving the way for the next generation of electronic warfare.”

Rosselli further added that the company is working on “completely replacing and consolidating the legacy systems into a one-box solution that will deliver a generational refresh to the electronic warfare capability for the lifetime of the Super Hornet.”

Throughout the prototype phase, the system will undergo preliminary design review, critical design review, and flight testing spanning 36 months. The development and testing of ADVEW will mainly take place in Goleta, California.