ARINC And Raytheon Form A Team To Pursue Expanding JPALS Program
Annapolis, MD - ARINC Engineering Services, LLC, the current prime contractor for Technology Development on the U.S. military's JPALS Joint Precision Approach and Landing System, and Raytheon Company, which held the previous JPALS prime contract, today announced a teaming agreement.
The two companies will bid together on the next and largest phase of the JPALS program, System Development and Demonstration (SDD), from 2006 to 2011. The U.S. Navy is expected to issue a request for proposals in November, with a contract award in mid-2006. The successful bidder on SDD will roll out prototype JPALS hardware—representative of actual production systems—for installation on Navy and Air Force aircraft, Navy ships, and at land based airfields.
As the team prime, ARINC will be responsible for JPALS requirements development and management, ship and air installation and integration, and overall systems integration. Subcontractor Raytheon will develop and deliver the complex JPALS ship and shore based reference stations, including multiple types for CV and L Class ships and tactical and fixed base systems for use ashore.
"Speaking for the team, we are very eager to demonstrate our end-to-end capabilities with this essential technology. Together, ARINC and Raytheon will deliver a JPALS system that meets and exceeds Joint Service expectations—on budget and on schedule," stated ARINC Staff Vice President for Navy Engineering Barry F. Schwoerer.
JPALS uses enhanced GPS satellite data to guide all types of military aircraft to precision landings on aircraft carriers or land. JPALS also enables fully automated landings during night operations or in poor visibility. JPALS is essential for fully automatic landings—not only for manned vehicles, but also for unmanned vehicles such as the J-UCAS.
Raytheon developed the original land based JPALS demonstration system, while a team consisting of ARINC, SAIC and Government personnel developed the ship and air systems used in the historic GPS-based fully automated approach to touchdown on an aircraft carrier which took place in 2001.
ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,000 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 Certified. For more information, visit the ARINC web site at www.arinc.com.
Source: ARINC Incorporated