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Huntsville AL: The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract valued at up to $71 million to continue their support in system engineering, integration, and installation for the Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) program. First fielded at key military installations last year, C-RAM is helping protect U.S. and coalition troops against mortar and rocket attacks. C-RAM solutions are tailored to best meet specific operational needs and created by integrating various capabilities and existing systems within the U.S. Department of Defense inventory.
In addition to continuing to support systems engineering, integration and installation of C-RAM capabilities, the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) C-RAM installation and support contract includes logistics and training support.
“C-RAM is a true systems engineering and integration effort that provides a number of capabilities, including audio and visual warnings of incoming mortar attacks. This 'sense and warn' feature alone has saved innumerable lives at several critical forward operating bases where the system is operational,” said Kelley G. Zelickson, vice president and general manager of the Tactical Systems Division, a business unit in the company's Mission Systems sector.
“Northrop Grumman, the government, and the industry team collaborating on this innovative quick-response effort have integrated existing systems into a system-of-systems architecture to quickly deploy additional capabilities, including the ability to detect, track, target and destroy in-flight rounds in time to meet time-critical operational warfighter needs.”
Under a $38 million contract awarded in October 2005, Northrop Grumman assisted in the integration, deployment, and installation of the C-RAM command and control systems architecture; assisted in integrating the command and control with target acquisition and tracking radars, warning, and response subsystems; and trained soldiers to operate and support the “system of systems.”
The contract is managed by the Director, Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar Program Office, in the Army's Program Executive Office, Command, Control and Communications Tactical. The Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.
C-RAM utilizes sensor, command and control, and visualization tools to detect threatening objects and locate the sources of incoming fire. Once the threat is confirmed, the command and control (C2) system provides accurate warning to exposed soldiers. Simultaneously, the C2 system provides correlated track data to the intercept system to negate the incoming RAM threat. Additionally, the C2 system passes Point of Origin and Point of Impact information on to other systems and sensors, queuing them and aiding the proper response.
Work, which will be based from Huntsville, Ala., is expected to be completed in September 2008.
