Branson Brooks
Leonardo DRS has received a $235 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command for air and surface target detection AN/SPQ-9B radars.
Under the potential five-year contract, Leonardo DRS will manufacture, inspect and test AN/SPQ-9B radars and associated spare kits for the U.S. Navy, the Arlington, Virginia-based company announced Thursday.
Cari Ossenfort, senior vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Naval Electronics business unit, said, “Our experienced team’s ability to execute complex manufacturing and proven engineering processes are the key reasons we remain a trusted partner to NAVSEA and PEO Integrated Warfare Systems.”
The AN/SPQ-9B Radar
The AN/SPQ-9B radar is tailored for littoral operations and uses a low false track rate in congested situations. The radar scans out to the horizon, performing automatic air and surface target detection and tracking of low-flying adversary-ship cruise missiles, surface threats and low-flying aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles, periscopes and helicopters.
“The SPQ-9B radar is a vital ship protection system used across the fleet, and we are proud that the U.S. Navy continues to entrust us to produce this important defensive technology,” noted Ossenfort.
This contract continues six years of collaboration between the Navy and Leonardo DRS. In May, Leonardo DRS received a $26 million contract from the Navy to provide design agent and engineering services to advance the service branch’s AN/SPQ-9B radar system.
