Navy awards $91.7M deal for next phase of electronic warfare program
Raytheon will work on Block 3 of SEWIP, which will give ships an electronic attack capability.
The Navy, continuing to upgrade its electronic warfare capacity, has awarded a $91.7 million contract modification to Raytheon for the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 for program engineering, manufacturing and development.
SEWIP, started in 2002, provides incremental upgrades to shipboard EW systems, upgrading and replacing the Navy’s AN/SLQ-32 systems, which date to the 1970s. Each block of upgrades adds a different set of capabilities, and each block also has different features within it, depending on their designation.
Block 3, which is being developed jointly by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, will add an electronic attack capability for all ships. Lockheed in July received a $155 million contract modification for Block 2, which upgrades the system’s electronic support receivers, combat system interface and receiver/antenna group.
Down the road, Block 4 will add advanced electro-optical and infrared capabilities.
Work under Northrop’s contract modification is expected to be completed by January 2017.