The Navy has tapped Northrop Grumman to produce the Improved Capability (ICAP) III system for an indefinite number of its EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The initial contract award of $73 million will cover four complete systems, another partial system, and spares, with an open end for the remaining units needed to equip a total of 21 Prowlers. Northrop has already modified 10 EA-6Bs with ICAP III. Upgrading the elderly EA-6Bs has taken on new significance, since USAF killed its proposed B-52 Stand-Off Jammer platform, leaving the Prowler as the only current dedicated EW platform in the military’s arsenal. The ICAP III is the latest of five generations of upgrades to the Prowler.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.