Lockheed completes intitial design of helicopter-mounted missile jammers

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare system for MH-60 Seahawk helicopters has completed its Preliminary Design Review, according to Lockheed Martin.

The AEOW AMP AN/ALQ-248 is designed to work independently or with shipboard systems like the SEWIP Block 2 AN/SLQ-32(V)6 to detect incoming anti-ship missiles and determine their targets. It then uses radio-frequency electronic warfare jammers to attempt to divert the missile.

"The battlefield at sea is constantly changing," electronic warfare program director Joe Ottaviano said in a press release. "Our Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare capabilities will give the U.S. Navy a powerful tool to detect threats and respond to our adversaries."

The U.S. Navy last year awarded Lockheed Martin a $42 million contract for system design and development. The company said it expects to be awarded a contract to begin construction of the system early next year, with its subsidiary Sikorsky expected to oversee the integration of the system into MH-60 helicopters.