Northrop Grumman receives third order for ICAP III systems

The US Navy is acquiring a third lot of Northrop Grumman's Improved Capability (ICAP) III airborne electronic attack systems for its fleet of EA-6B Prowlers under a $101.9 million contract. The company will deliver seven complete systems, plus associated piece parts and spares. Deliveries are scheduled to begin during the second quarter of 2010.

To date, Northrop Grumman has delivered two lots of Prowlers modified with the new ICAP III system to the Navy. These aircraft have been deployed several times to support combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The third lot will be delivered to the U. S. Marine Corps at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N. C, becoming part of Marine Air Group 14.

Prowlers are a high-demand, low-density military asset used by US forces in all airborne electronic attack missions. They are used heavily in the global war on terrorism. ICAP III is the latest of five generations of EA-6 airborne electronic-attack systems designed to identify, degrade and destroy enemy radar-guided air defense and communication systems. Prowlers equipped with ICAP III capabilities reached initial operational capability in 2005.

At the heart of the ICAP III Prowler are the new ALQ-218 receiver and the sophisticated algorithms that allow selective-reactive jamming and threat precision geolocation capabilities. ICAP III also has the new Multifunction Information Distribution System (MIDS). MIDS, which features the US military's primary data-link system, LINK 16, will enable ICAP III Prowlers to become key nodes in the Navy's Sea Power 21 FORCEnet architecture.

Northrop Grumman, the EA-6B Prowler ICAP III prime contractor also manufactures the ICAP III ALQ-218 receiver subsystem. Major subcontractors include: BAE SYSTEMS and Times Microwave.

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