Northrop Grumman has been picked to participate in the first phase of the Improved Threat Detection System program of the U.S. Army.
The global aerospace and defense technology company said Monday its Advanced Tactical Hostile Engagement Awareness, or ATHENA, sensor was selected and will be developed under an other transaction agreement via the Consortium Management Group. This is on behalf of the Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace.
The ATHENA missile warning sensor offers always-on, 360-degree situational awareness that provides aircrafts with better protection and reportedly increases their survivability. The technology features a high-resolution, surround video and wide-band threat detection capability used for geolocating anti-tank guided missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and other electro-optical/infrared threats.
ATHENA has so far demonstrated its effectiveness during live-fire tests conducted by the government. It has also integrated easily into an aircraft equipped with flare or laser-based countermeasure systems like the Common Infrared Countermeasure system.
Dennis Neel, survivability development programs director at Northrop, highlights the sensor’s capabilities, saying, “ATHENA can see where pilots can’t, even looking through an aircraft floor. The sensor delivers safety in-flight through advanced threat warning capabilities and situational awareness previously limited to larger aircraft, making missions safer for pilots and aircrews.”