Q: What has ITT Avionics done to turn itself into a supplier of total survivability suites for helicopters and fixed-wing combat aircraft?
A: Over the past 40 years we have evolved analytical capabilities that give us a clear understanding of the threat and of our customers' requirements. So it was natural for us to move from developing point solutions to producing integrated systems to solve the whole problem in a particular environment. To do this we've teamed with companies large and small wherever appropriate. We analyse the threats to a particular platform and then come up with the optimum set of defences and offences.
Q: Which capabilities do you ask other companies to provide?
A: At present - and it's an evolving situation based on our customers' needs - they include missile and radar warning, infra-red countermeasures, and chaff and flare capabilities for our AN/ALQ-211 family of systems, which provides the controlling function and co-ordinates the response and interaction of all the subsystems.
Q: Will you do business with competitors like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems in order to build total solutions?
A: We're doing that right now. BAE Systems provides subsystems for the AN/ALQ-211, we're working with Lockheed Martin on a number of things, and we've done technology demonstration programmes with Raytheon that have been very successful. We also deal with smaller companies like EMS Technologies, which provides part of our jamming capability.
Q: ITT Avionics is part of ITT Industries' Defence Electronics and Services (DES) segment, which recorded $2.4 billion in sales last year. How much did Avionics contribute? What share of the market does ITT Avionics currently hold and what is your target for 2005?
A: DES has recently experienced double-digit growth in both orders and revenue, and currently has an exceptionally high order backlog totalling $3.5 billion. Our growth in Avionics is also double-digit, and has been that way for a couple of years. We believe that our share of the countermeasures and situational awareness market is growing, as evidenced by the order and revenue growth achieved over the past couple of years and projected for at least the next year.
Q: Which countries and programmes are your prime prospects for new business over the next five years?
A: Our international prospects encompass countries buying new F-16s, as Egypt and Pakistan may do, while our AIDEWS (Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite) could be selected for F-16s being acquired under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. Apache upgrades or purchases in countries like the UAE, Republic of China and South Korea are other opportunities. Some international customers are looking to buy F/A-18E s and Fs, and our ALQ-214 is on those types. A maritime version of the NH-90 helicopter is being marketed, and we are already on the Norwegian NH-90s. Domestically, we expect to win business on platforms that are under contract or being competed, such as the US Air Force PRV (Personnel Recovery Vehicle) helicopter and US Army rotary-wing upgrades.
Q: What are the main threats to the aircraft you equip, now and in the near future?
A: The threat to any platform is determined by its mission and expected environment. We offer suites with capabilities across the full threat spectrum, responding to the customer's perception of the threat and tailoring the suite to his requirements. We also help customers with their platform threat and vulnerability analyses and then optimise the system configuration accordingly.
Q: Which emerging technologies do you expect to incorporate into your products in the next five to 10 years?
A: The increasing use of digital techniques in our systems is critical. In the commercial world, processor speeds and analogue-to-digital conversion speeds increase every year, driving the expectations of our market. We are developing software architectures that will help make systems more flexible and modular so that you can re-role them without having to change the hardware. Our AN/ALQ-211 reflects this modular, scaleable approach.
Q: Which aspects of your products are you most concerned to enhance over the next few years?
A: Modularity is the driving force on our technology roadmap for the coming years. A modular architecture naturally provides a lower-cost system, by eliminating the design and production costs of single-point solutions. And it gives us the flexibility to create a tailored solution. Weight, volume and reliability enhancements are achievable when you can use modular building blocks and digital design techniques. We believe that with AN/ALQ-211 we have demonstrated the inherent weight and packaging advantages of this approach.
Q: How does the aircraft self-protection function fit into the emerging framework of network-centric operations (NCO)?
A: The aircraft self-protection function is a natural building block of NCO. A self-protection suite contains sensors that can gather data right across the electromagnetic spectrum at the front edge of the battle and feed it into the network. Processing that data allows functions not normally associated with self-protection, such as targeting, to be supported, and the situational awareness of the aircrew can be substantially increased without adding new systems to the aircraft.
Q: Do you see any obstacles to the achievement of the present NCO ambitions of the USA and its allies? What part does ITT Avionics aim to play in the NCO arena?
A: The biggest challenge is the need for standards for the communications backbone and infrastructure in order to facilitate the sharing of information across multiple platforms - satellites, airborne and on the ground. Our communications division is contributing to work on standards for JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) fixed and self-forming networks. We also firmly believe that network distribution of the data obtained by our onboard self-protection sensors can add significantly to the common operational picture.
A: Over the past 40 years we have evolved analytical capabilities that give us a clear understanding of the threat and of our customers' requirements. So it was natural for us to move from developing point solutions to producing integrated systems to solve the whole problem in a particular environment. To do this we've teamed with companies large and small wherever appropriate. We analyse the threats to a particular platform and then come up with the optimum set of defences and offences.
Q: Which capabilities do you ask other companies to provide?
A: At present - and it's an evolving situation based on our customers' needs - they include missile and radar warning, infra-red countermeasures, and chaff and flare capabilities for our AN/ALQ-211 family of systems, which provides the controlling function and co-ordinates the response and interaction of all the subsystems.
Q: Will you do business with competitors like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems in order to build total solutions?
A: We're doing that right now. BAE Systems provides subsystems for the AN/ALQ-211, we're working with Lockheed Martin on a number of things, and we've done technology demonstration programmes with Raytheon that have been very successful. We also deal with smaller companies like EMS Technologies, which provides part of our jamming capability.
Q: ITT Avionics is part of ITT Industries' Defence Electronics and Services (DES) segment, which recorded $2.4 billion in sales last year. How much did Avionics contribute? What share of the market does ITT Avionics currently hold and what is your target for 2005?
A: DES has recently experienced double-digit growth in both orders and revenue, and currently has an exceptionally high order backlog totalling $3.5 billion. Our growth in Avionics is also double-digit, and has been that way for a couple of years. We believe that our share of the countermeasures and situational awareness market is growing, as evidenced by the order and revenue growth achieved over the past couple of years and projected for at least the next year.
Q: Which countries and programmes are your prime prospects for new business over the next five years?
A: Our international prospects encompass countries buying new F-16s, as Egypt and Pakistan may do, while our AIDEWS (Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite) could be selected for F-16s being acquired under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system. Apache upgrades or purchases in countries like the UAE, Republic of China and South Korea are other opportunities. Some international customers are looking to buy F/A-18E s and Fs, and our ALQ-214 is on those types. A maritime version of the NH-90 helicopter is being marketed, and we are already on the Norwegian NH-90s. Domestically, we expect to win business on platforms that are under contract or being competed, such as the US Air Force PRV (Personnel Recovery Vehicle) helicopter and US Army rotary-wing upgrades.
Q: What are the main threats to the aircraft you equip, now and in the near future?
A: The threat to any platform is determined by its mission and expected environment. We offer suites with capabilities across the full threat spectrum, responding to the customer's perception of the threat and tailoring the suite to his requirements. We also help customers with their platform threat and vulnerability analyses and then optimise the system configuration accordingly.
Q: Which emerging technologies do you expect to incorporate into your products in the next five to 10 years?
A: The increasing use of digital techniques in our systems is critical. In the commercial world, processor speeds and analogue-to-digital conversion speeds increase every year, driving the expectations of our market. We are developing software architectures that will help make systems more flexible and modular so that you can re-role them without having to change the hardware. Our AN/ALQ-211 reflects this modular, scaleable approach.
Q: Which aspects of your products are you most concerned to enhance over the next few years?
A: Modularity is the driving force on our technology roadmap for the coming years. A modular architecture naturally provides a lower-cost system, by eliminating the design and production costs of single-point solutions. And it gives us the flexibility to create a tailored solution. Weight, volume and reliability enhancements are achievable when you can use modular building blocks and digital design techniques. We believe that with AN/ALQ-211 we have demonstrated the inherent weight and packaging advantages of this approach.
Q: How does the aircraft self-protection function fit into the emerging framework of network-centric operations (NCO)?
A: The aircraft self-protection function is a natural building block of NCO. A self-protection suite contains sensors that can gather data right across the electromagnetic spectrum at the front edge of the battle and feed it into the network. Processing that data allows functions not normally associated with self-protection, such as targeting, to be supported, and the situational awareness of the aircrew can be substantially increased without adding new systems to the aircraft.
Q: Do you see any obstacles to the achievement of the present NCO ambitions of the USA and its allies? What part does ITT Avionics aim to play in the NCO arena?
A: The biggest challenge is the need for standards for the communications backbone and infrastructure in order to facilitate the sharing of information across multiple platforms - satellites, airborne and on the ground. Our communications division is contributing to work on standards for JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) fixed and self-forming networks. We also firmly believe that network distribution of the data obtained by our onboard self-protection sensors can add significantly to the common operational picture.
Source: Flight Daily News
