Northrop Grumman [NOC] last week said it will compete as the prime contractor for the Army’s Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS).
Boeing [BA] and L-3 Communications [LLL] are already in the hunt for the program.
The contract award is expected in late September.
EMARSS is the new program of record for the Army for integration, modification and delivery of Hawker Beechcraft 350ER aircraft. The mission of EMARSS is to conduct reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition operations in support of ground combat units in overwatch and to maintain a persistent presence over demonstrated at-risk areas.
“Advanced ISR solutions, such as EMARSS, are required by our men and women in uniform decisively engaged in irregular warfare in Afghanistan today,” said Tom Vice, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Technical Services. “Our EMARSS proposal is strengthened not only by our superior performance on similar programs, but also through combining the core ISR capabilities that reside across the Northrop Grumman Corporation.”
EMARSS includes a low-risk, low-cost enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft design. This includes four engineering and manufacturing development aircraft to be delivered within 18 months of contract award and an option for delivery of four more low-rate initial production aircraft within 12 months of execution of the option.