Article Posted on : - Jan 03, 2011

The High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Control Section Modification (HCSM) programme. Photo: ATK

MINNEAPOLIS (BNS): US Air Force has awarded a $4.5-million contract to the Alliant Tech Systems (ATK), for the limited production phase of the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) Control Section Modification (HCSM) programme.

Under the 18 month contract, the US Air Force will evaluate overall compliance with the HCSM programme's technical objectives and the companies' ability to reliably produce modification kits at the lowest cost. The evaluation will include both ground and flight tests. Following the technical evaluation of both companies, the Air Force plans to award a single full-rate production contract.

With the addition of an inertial measurement unit, a GPS receiver, modified guidance software and platform provided coordinates, the Air Force's HARM missiles will have the capability to attack targets based on their geographic location and avoid zones of exclusion.

"We have acquired a great deal of experience in the lab, in flight testing and in limited rate production with fused anti-radiation homing and navigation solutions for missiles. We are confident that we can provide a competitively priced solution that will meet the Air Force's mission requirements and also provide joint commonality and cost savings to the services," Bill Kasting, Vice President and General Manager of ATK Defense Electronics Systems said.

ATK is also producing AGM-88E missiles for the United States Navy and the Italian Air Force.

The company will perform the work at its facilities center in Woodland Hills, CA and Rocket Center, West Virginia.