Boeing announces B-52 airborne electronic attack contract

Boeing has been awarded a $14.9 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop airborne electronic attack technologies that can be used over long distances.

The announcement will further the development of the proposed Core Component Jammer (CCJ) program, which plans to use the U.S. Air Force B-52H aircraft as the platform for long-range radar jamming capabilities.

"We look forward to maturing the planned CCJ technology, which will keep our warfighters safer as they complete missions in the air and on the ground," said Scot Oathout, director of B-52 Programs for Boeing. "This is the first step in getting this capability fielded, and the B-52H is the right platform to mature this technology."

The multi-mission B-52H is the only platform in the Air Force inventory that accommodates all necessary attributes for jamming electronic attacks while delivering its full complement of weapons, including responsiveness, range, loiter time, size and power.

Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems will contribute electronic-attack expertise to the project which is expected to deliver in-flight, stand-off jamming demonstrations on the B-52 in 2011-2012.