ITT – FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS – SOLVING BLUE-ON-BLUE
By Julian Nettlefold, Editor BATTLESPACE
10 Oct 07. BATTLESPACE was given full briefings by all of the ITT segments during AUSA following the bid for EDO. (See: BATTLESPACE AUSA EXHIBITION NEWS Vol.9 ISSUE 1, 11 Oct 2007, ITT BROADENS ITS DEFENSE BASE WITH EDO ACQUISITION By Julian Nettlefold, Editor, BATTLESPACE). The general consensus from all the interviews we undertook was that EDO will be a good fit, pending shareholder approval and will fill in technology gaps at ITT and provide new avenues for development.
EW SEGMENT
The Editor met ITT’s Electronic Systems Business Development Director, Christopher Carlson and discussed the company’s involvement in the technology to defeat IEDs.
“ITT is involved in developing technology to defeat IEDS across all our Divisions. Our Systems Group has been working on a contract to develop future IED technology whilst our DE&S has a hugely important input with the interface with the VHF spectrum. EDO also has a very long history in IED-defeating technology having been the company which developed Warlock Green and Red for the DoD,” Carlson said.
ITT is currently responding to an ITT issued for the next generation of IED systems CREW 3 which will replace every system in numbers believed to be 25000. The bid document is expected at the end of the year for a 30 day response.
“We understand that the US Army is re-looking at its EW capability, particularly for artillery systems?” the Editor asked.
“Yes, the Army has historically neglected EW and had to ask the Navy for help recently. A new office is being established at Fort Rucker as it takes as long as eight years to train an EW Specialist.”
“What other areas are you considering?”
“We have a Program in place to develop an IR pointer-tracker to develop a system to compete with the BAE-Northrop DIRCM system. We are taking a modular approach to our design which will make the system lighter and more compact to fit to rotary winged aircraft as well as being less costly; we hope to have a demonstrator ready in the near future mounted on a Blackhawk.”
“Another area we are looking at is to fit an EW system on the V-22 aircraft. We have completed development of an internal 2-11 V-2 system on the Army and USAF Special Forces MV-22 where we are looking at a Requirement for 500 systems. We expect the USMC to follow suit. We have recently finished testing a V-6 system for the US Army SOCOM on a Chinook MH-60 and MH-47; we hope to follow this with an order for 100 systems and productionise the system in 2008.”
ITT DE&S
The Editor met Dr Larry Williams of DE&S to discuss new developments.
“How is SpearNet progressing?” the Editor asked
“It has come a long way since its launch which you witnessed at AUSA in 20004,” Larry Williams said
SpearNet was introduced to warfighters and others interested in obtaining network centric radio capability immediately.
At 11 ounces, the 5 1/4 inch long SpearNet is optimized for ease of operations with no knobs or displays for a soldier to worry about. The pocket-sized device utilizes ad hoc networking to bring individuals full situational awareness without the need of creating or monitoring network operations. SpearNet automatically organizes, maintains and even heals itself so warfighters are left free to concentrate on the battlefield.
Because SpearNet can be programmed, warfighters can carry one device that offers them the ability to collaboratively plan their actions and network to a host of applications like intelligence reports and blue force tracking.
The SpearNet system is based on work carried out by ITT Industries on the HMT, SUO SAS and SLICE projects. Utilising the self-forming, self-healing waveform with Multihop and Wideband spread spectrum with multipath mitigation the system can transmit through buildings. This capability was clearly demonstrated by the company by sending digital photographs and voi