Leidos receives $64 million task order for ARL-E surveillance planes

July 18 (UPI) -- Leidos has received a $64 million task order for the integration and demonstration of the Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Enhanced ground surveillance and intelligence aircraft, the company announced on Tuesday.

The work and testing of three ARL-E platforms will be conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and following demonstrations will be delivered to the U. S. Army. Leidos Will integrate the already delivered Mission Equipment Payload

The ARL-E is an upgraded version of the ARL. It replaces the ARL's de Havilland Canada Dash 7 airframe with a twin-engine Bombardier Dash-8 turboprop aircraft

"Delivering additional ARL-E MEP systems to the Army recognizes Leidos' success in developing the next generation of modular, multi-INT intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to meet evolving threat environment that the nation's combat forces are facing," Leidos Group President Mike Chagnon said in a press release.

The ARL-E is designed to detect, track, and identify surface targets day or night under most weather conditions. It uses dual-optical high definition sensors, laser rangefinders and target designators, a long-range surface search radar, and radio wave direction finders which can give precise coordinates of enemy communication signals.