TWO MORE US NAVY E-2DS WITH UPGRADED SOFTWARE

摘要

NORTHROP GRUMMAN has been awarded a contract adding scope to procure two additional E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Delta System/Software Configuration Build IV (DSSC4) developmental test aircraft. Awarded on May 25, the $9.5m US Naval Air Systems Command contract is an amendment to an earlier agreement and increases the quantity of DSSC4 trials aircraft from three to five. It also provides for the upgrade of the mission computer display memory from 32GB to 64GB. Work is expected to be completed in June 2022. The baseline initial operational capability configuration, known as DSSC Build 1 (DSSC-1), has been followed by progressive upgrades. The latest, DSSC-4, is planned for operational test in fiscal year 2021 and fleet release in FY2022 and includes elements to meet Naval Integrated Fire Control Increment 3 (NIFC increment 3) requirements. DSSC-4 comprises the E-2D multifunctional information distribution system/joint tactical radio system, tactical targeting networking technology, secret internet protocol router chat, data fusion (phase 1), sensor netting and DSSC-4 counter electronic attack. It will be followed by DSSC-5, planned for operational test and fleet release in FY2024.