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 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.
“The start of EPAWSS production marks a critical milestone and is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our industry team,” said Jerry Wohletz, vice president and general manager of Electronic Combat Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our technology is cutting-edge, our factories are world-class, and our people are innovative and mission-focused.”
“I’m proud of the overall team for their incredible effort on this program,” said F-15 EPAWSS program manager Lt Col Dan Carroll. “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.”
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. 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.
The Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) provides the U.S. Air Force F-15 fleet with advanced electronic warfare technology to maximize mission effectiveness and survivability. With more than 60 years of electronic warfare experience and 10,000 tactical systems produced, BAE Systems remains unsurpassed across the electromagnetic spectrum. Currently flying systems on more than a dozen platforms worldwide, it is the world leader in electronic warfare, providing the warfighter with end-to-end capabilities to counter current and emerging threats. BAE Systems’ EPAWSS builds on this historic heritage, modernizing the F-15 with an advanced electronic warfare solution for the U.S. Air Force, protecting the aircraft by maximizing mission effectiveness and survivability.
EPAWSS continues BAE Systems’ effort to provide the F-15 fleets of U.S. and allied nations with the most advanced aviation capabilities on the market. The foundation for that effort was set in 2008, when its Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS) became the first new U.S.-developed electronic warfare system to be installed on the platform in several decades. Since then, BAE Systems has agreed to supply DEWS for new advanced and modified F-15 aircraft. Providing both offensive and defensive electronic warfare options for the pilot and aircraft, EPAWSS offers fully integrated radar warning, geo-location, situational awareness, and self-protection solutions to detect and defeat surface and airborne threats in signal-dense contested and highly contested environments.
BAE Systems’ EW systems deliver superior situational awareness, even in the most complex battlespaces, with 5th generation electronic support, electronic protection, and electronic attack capabilities. Defeating threats long before they can be seen provides armed forces in the air, on water, on the ground, and even in space with a critical edge in combat. Delivering that critical edge to support the mission is what electronic warfare (EW) is about, and BAE Systems is the premier mission systems provider – the world leader – in effective and affordable EW technologies.
BAE Systems electronic warfare systems have flown on over 120 platforms and operate on 80% of U.S. military fixed-wing aircraft, over 95% of U.S. Army rotary-wing aircraft, and those of U.S. allies.
