F-15E Strike Eagles with the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., form up behind a KC-135 Stratotanker with the 121st Air Refueling Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, June 15, 2018. The Stratotanker had just finished refueling the Strike Eagles. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Tiffany A. Emery)

BAE Systems starts electronic warfare system production for U.S. Air Force F-15s

BAE Systems has received a $58 million contract from Boeing to start Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) for the U.S. Air Force. The electronic warfare (EW) and countermeasures system provides advanced electromagnetic capabilities that protect pilots and help them maintain air superiority during their toughest missions.

The start of EPAWSS production marks a critical milestone and is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our industry team. Our technology is cutting-edge, our factories are world-class, and our people are innovative and mission-focused.

Jerry Wohletz, vice president and general manager of Electronic Combat Solutions at BAE Systems

The all-digital EPAWSS enables pilots to monitor, jam, and deceive threats in contested airspace. The system combines multispectral sensors and countermeasures, industry-leading signal processing, microelectronics, and intelligent algorithms to deliver fully integrated radar warning, situational awareness, geolocation, and self-protection capabilities.

F-15E Strike Eagles with the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., form up behind a KC-135 Stratotanker with the 121st Air Refueling Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, June 15, 2018. The Stratotanker had just finished refueling the Strike Eagles. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Tiffany A. Emery)

The successful completion of a series of rigorous flight tests, ground tests, and intensive technology demonstrations led to the U.S. Air Force decision to proceed with LRIP. During the program’s Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase, BAE Systems is delivering incremental updates to the EPAWSS flight software with new geolocation and threat identification capabilities. As a result, system performance continues to improve in ground/flight test and in dense signal environments in hardware-in-the-loop (HiTL) tests at the U.S. Air Force’s Integrated Demonstrations and Applications Laboratory.

I’m proud of the overall team for their incredible effort on this program. The LRIP milestone is the culmination of years of hard work by a lot of great people within the government and our Boeing and BAE Systems industry partners. EPAWSS will significantly improve the survivability and utility of the F-15, and will be a great complement to what is already a very capable and lethal aircraft.

Lt Col Dan Carroll,F-15 EPAWSS program manager

BAE Systems has also demonstrated EPAWSS’ hardware maturity and manufacturing readiness. In anticipation of EPAWSS LRIP and other critical EW production needs, the company has invested more than $100 million in world-class EW laboratories and factories, and has grown its workforce of innovative, mission-focused experts.

Source: BAE Systems news release

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