Air Force calls up support for friend-or-foe devices

A unit of General Dynamics will furnish the Air Force with cryptographic technology for identification equipment that identifies friend from foe on the battlefield under a contract potentially worth $37 million over five years.

A General Dynamics unit will furnish the Air Force with cryptographic technology for identification equipment that identifies friend from foe on the battlefield under a contract potentially worth $37 million over five years.

Under the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract, General Dynamics C4 System will provide the service with cryptographic modules and related parts for Identification Friend or Foe Mode 5 systems, company officials said Sept. 21.

The modules are part of the Mark XIIA Identification Friend or Foe system. The Mark XIIA system, used by the Air Force and Navy, is compatible with other military systems such as the Blue Force Tracking and Battlefield Combat Identification Systems.

The modules give precise identification of friendly aircraft by ships ground forces and other aircraft.