The US Navy intends to grant Leonardo a contract to manufacture thousands of aerial countermeasures for the service’s fleets of F-35 Lightning II and F-18 Hornet/Super Hornet/Growler combat aircraft.
According to a statement released by the Naval Air Systems Command, it “intends to negotiate and award” a fixed-price deal to the company’s UK segment, which would include related materials, labor, overhead, and equipment.
The initiative, if approved, will result in the yearly production of between 3,000 and 6,000 Active Expendable Decoys (AEDs), spare impulse cartridges, field service staff, and support infrastructure. The BriteCloud expandable active decoy, which has a self-contained, battery-powered radio frequency architecture for passive or preventative security, is one of the AED products that Leonardo expects will be included in the initiative.
Currently available in a rectangular version that is 155 mm (6.1 inches) long and weighs 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs), as well as a round version that has a diameter of 55 mm (2.1 inches) and weighs 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs).
