US Navy awards Northrop Grumman JCREW 3.3 development contract

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received a $28 million award to continue developing the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.3 System of Systems.

JCREW is a multifunctional electronic jammer which could be carried by troops, mounted on a vehicle or boat, or used in a fixed location to prevent the detonation of RCIEDs. Systems used now in Iraq and Afghanistan to counter IEDs provide either dismounted, mounted or fixed-site capability, but not all three.

The contract option exercised by the US Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., on April 9 funds Northrop Grumman for system development and demonstration through the critical design review. CDR began April 9 and is scheduled to continue through October 10.

"Northrop Grumman is pleased, and very proud, to be selected to continue our development of the next-generation variants of IED jammers. We consider the CREW mission of protecting our soldiers from this pervasive threat among the company's highest priorities," said Jim Byloff, vice president of advanced systems and products with the network communications systems business of Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector.

Northrop Grumman successfully completed the most recent major milestone - the preliminary design review - which demonstrated the technical maturity and integrated performance of its JCREW 3.3 design was on track to proceed through prototype verifications.

The cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus award fee, cost-only, firm-fixed-price option is a modification to the contract awarded in October 2009.

JCREW 3.3 is the first generation system to be developed using a common open architecture across all three capabilities, which will provide for system flexibility, extensibility, ease of upgrades and a reduced lifecycle cost. The system's open architecture also will allow it to be easily modified to provide protection for worldwide military operations.

Source: Northrop Grumman