BAE Systems was awarded a more than $20 million contract to develop a new electronic warfare system for Air Force Special Operations Command’s fleet of C-130J aircraft, according to a Jan. 4 company release. The Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) system is a “platform-level solution” that can be integrated on AC-130J Ghostrider gunships and MC-130J Commando IIs, “increasing the aircraft’s ability to detect and defeat both surface and airborne threats in signal-dense and highly contested environments,” states the release. The contract award is the first phase of a multi-phase plan to upgrade the C-130J system survivability. “This award is a significant milestone as it not only builds on our strong electronic warfare legacy, but also extends our proven electronic warfare capability to a large platform aircraft,” said Brian Walters, vice president and general manager of the company’s Electronic Combat Solutions. “Our all-digital RFCM system will ensure the mission-critical C-130J fleet remains capable and protected in the harshest environments.”
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…