Stewart Penney/LONDON
Raytheon Systems UK(RSL) has been selected over BAE Systems as preferred supplier for the UK's Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) equipment.
As part of the deal, worth around £100 million ($150 million), RSL will supply equipment for 25 types of in-service equipment, including aircraft, warships and long-range radar's.
The UK Ministry of Defence will also place contracts worth a further £170 million with platform design authorities (DAs) BAE, Marshall Aerospace and GKN Westland Helicopters.
Ian Bainbridge, RSL director C3I systems, says most of the technology will be UK-developed, although the company's US parent will also supply some equipment.
He expects the contract to be signed by the end of this year, leading to initial deliveries late next year. Last deliveries are expected in around 2009, by which time 1,000 platforms of 40 different types will have been equipped, says the MoD.
Because of the complexity of the integration task with some platforms, the MoD has split its procurement strategy into three.
RSL will be responsible for the SIFF equipment, the design and installation, as well as testing on most platforms, says Bainbridge. RSL will also supply its SIFF equipment to the DAs, which will be responsible for system integration and testing on other equipment.
For complex platforms - including the BAE Sea Harrier, Panavia Tornado F3, Matra BAe Dynamics Rapier Field Standard C and Shorts High Velocity Missile/ Starstreak short-range air defence systems- that typically include integration with radar and weapons as well as the platform - separate competitions will be used to determine the SIFF supplier.
RSL has been selected for the Tornado and Rapier, while BAE will supply the Sea Harrier SIFF.
SIFF provides NATO Mk XII standard IFF and provides compatibility with civil airspace Mode S and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system.
Growth capability will include Mode 5 cryptography to provide improved data screening.
Source: Flight International