Lockheed Martin Develops OF-Board EW System for MH-60 Helicopters

The Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare (AOEW) system, developed by Lockheed Martin, passed Preliminary Design Review on schedule.

The AOEW system will provide MH-60 helicopters with enhanced electronic warfare surveillance and countermeasure capabilities against anti-ship missile (ASM) threats.

"The battlefield at sea is constantly changing," said Joe Ottaviano, electronic warfare program director. "Our Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare capabilities will give the U.S. Navy a powerful tool to detect threats and respond to our adversaries."

The AOEW contract was awarded on Dec. 23, 2016, building on Lockheed Martin's 45-year legacy of integrated electronic warfare system success. The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $42 million contract for the system design and development phase.

Lockheed Martin expects to be awarded the EMD phase of the contract, which has options for six units, in later this year.

The AOEW AMP AN/ALQ-248 can work independently or with the ship's onboard electronic surveillance sensor, SEWIP Block 2 AN/SLQ-32(V)6, to detect an incoming missile and then evaluate where it is going. AOEW then uses radio frequency countermeasure techniques to deter the missile. The AOEW program leverages expertise across Lockheed Martin.

Construction of the AOEW systems in Syracuse, New York, is slated to begin in early 2018. The Owego, New York, team will integrate the system onto the MH-60 helicopters, which are built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company.