BAE Systems has been selected to produce electronic attack pod testing equipment to protect U.S. Air Force F-15, F-16 and A-10 aircraft. The $3.3 million contract for the Electronic Attack Improved Avionics Intermediate Shop (EA-IAIS) transforms a full-scale development tester into a production-ready station to test ALQ-131 and ALQ-184 electronic attack pods. The Air Force’s electronic attack pod sustainment organization at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Ga., selected EA-IAIS as the common tester to replace two obsolete legacy pod testers.

These countermeasure pods provide protection for combat aircraft and aircrews against threats such as radar-guided missiles. The pods can emit high-power jamming against RF emitters, effectively blinding or spoofing an enemy's targeting abilities.

EA-IAIS is a portable tester designed for rapid deployment. The tester helps provide fast-turnaround repairs of electronic warfare pods and supports fuller mission capability for the combat aircraft. It employs state-of-the-art synthetic instruments integrated with advanced electronic warfare technology for radio frequency spectrum analysis and responses.

"This award is the result of six years of planning and development effort with the Air Force,” said Anthony Porter, program manager for BAE Systems automatic test systems in San Diego. The EA-IAIS builds on BAE Systems' improved avionics intermediate shop series of testers — already in the Air Force’s inventory — to meet the service's goal of a common tester for different platforms.

The work will be performed at the BAE Systems San Diego facility. The next phase of the program will be the production of up to 100 pod testers.

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