L3Harris to Develop EW System Prototype for Navy’s F/A-18 Fleet

The U.S. Navy has awarded L3Harris an $80 million contract to develop an electronic warfare system prototype for the service’s F/A-18 aircraft fleet. 

L3Harris will propose a system with integrated electronic support measure and electronic attack system designed to detect threats in all relevant radio frequency bands. The EW offering will also use a modular open systems approach and open mission systems-compliant design to enable integrating new and upgraded technology in the future.

Securing the contract provides the company with the opportunity to win a follow-on contract to produce an EW capability in 2026. Another business was selected to develop a prototype and vie for the production contract, L3Harris said.

Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris, explained that the EW system is being developed to provide naval aviators with protection from electronic attacks for several years and ensure mission success. 

The latest contract award “builds upon decades of delivering EW systems to the Navy, and we are excited that our technology is protecting pilots in dangerous situations while allowing them to dominate potential adversaries,” Zoiss said.