Army awards OTA for Launched Effects program
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD – The U.S. Army Project Director Sensors-Aerial Intelligence (PD SAI) entered into Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements earlier this month to engage Lockheed Martin Corporation and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (NGSC). The initial awards are for Phase 1 of a Launched Effects (LE) program to mature existing Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 payloads to TRL 7, which will integrate and test payloads within the infrared and electronic warfare realms.
This competitive first phase of a multi-phased OTA project will develop a vendor statement of work and an initial project plan for Phases 2 and 3. The value of Phase 1 is expected to be about $100,000 for each vendor provided payload. NGSC is awarded for two payloads and Lockheed Martin Corporation is awarded for one. “Phase 2 will mature the TRL 6 payloads and integrate them into a captive carry test event, leading to Phase 3,” said Dennis Teefy, PD SAI, “which will be a final integration and flight test in a chosen uncrewed aerial vehicle.”
The overall value of the LE program OTA is expected to total about $37 million over all three phases. LE will provide standoff sense and effect capabilities for Soldiers while keeping air and ground forces outside the range of adversary weapon systems. In addition, LE will provide complimentary support to forces entering and exiting mission areas.
The Army is pursuing LE to ensure Soldiers can continue to provide overmatch capabilities to both air and surface forces.
“The award of this OTA project is another example of PD SAI’s dedication to supporting our critical PEO Aviation partner,” Teefy said.
The LE program is a multi-Program Executive Office (PEO) initiative that will support Army activities. PD SAI is the focal point for all PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S) sensing and non-lethal effects payloads, which will support the PEO Aviation LE Program of Record (PoR).
PD SAI will be the single manager for all PEO IEW&S LE payloads and will work closely with PEO Aviation and Project Manager Uncrewed Aircraft Systems stakeholders and the requirements community to ensure all provided payloads meet the threshold requirements and are suitable for the anticipated concept of operations and air vehicle.
The LE PoR is currently being defined by PEO Aviation. The first iteration of LE to support user evaluations before fielding with Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft is expected no earlier than Fiscal Year 2030