BAE Systems RF countermeasures are set to expand across US and allied fighter fleets after the US Navy awarded the company a $73.8 million contract modification for electronic warfare equipment.
Naval Air Systems Command, based in Patuxent River, Maryland, confirmed the award to BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., located in Nashua, New Hampshire. The action supports both US military aircraft and Foreign Military Sales customers, reinforcing ongoing efforts to modernize airborne self protection systems.
Contract scope and value
The $73,798,992 modification, identified as P00006, applies to an existing firm fixed price contract originally awarded under contract number N0001924C0003. The modification exercises an option to procure 1,248 radio frequency countermeasures used to protect fighter aircraft against radar guided threats.
According to the Navy, the contract was not competed, a common approach for follow on electronic warfare buys where system design, integration, and sustainment are already tied to a single qualified supplier. BAE Systems is a long standing provider of RF countermeasure technology for US tactical aircraft and allied platforms.
The work is expected to be completed by February 2029, indicating a multi year production and delivery schedule aligned with fighter fleet sustainment and upgrade timelines.
Funding breakdown
Funding for the contract comes from several procurement accounts across fiscal years 2025 and 2026. At the time of award, the Navy obligated funds as follows:
Fiscal 2025 procurement of ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps, totaling $3,551,657
Fiscal 2026 procurement of ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps, totaling $9,441,486
Fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement, Air Force, totaling $19,355,045
Foreign Military Sales funds totaling $41,450,803
The Department of Defense noted that none of these funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, ensuring continuity for production and delivery activities.
Workshare and industrial footprint
BAE Systems will carry out contract work across a wide US industrial footprint, reflecting the distributed nature of modern defense electronics manufacturing. Work locations and shares include:
Nashua, New Hampshire, 40 percent
Elkton, Maryland, 16 percent
Chatsworth, California, 7 percent
Rosamond, California, 4 percent
Dover, New Hampshire, 4 percent
Rochester, New York, 4 percent
Topsfield, Massachusetts, 3 percent
Poughkeepsie, New York, 1 percent
Other continental US locations, 21 percent
This spread highlights the role of multiple specialized facilities in producing and integrating RF countermeasure systems, from design and testing to final assembly and support.
Role of RF countermeasures in fighter survivability
Radio frequency countermeasures are a core element of modern fighter aircraft self defense suites. These systems detect, analyze, and disrupt hostile radar and missile guidance signals, reducing the probability of successful engagement by surface to air and air to air threats.
BAE Systems RF countermeasures are typically integrated with radar warning receivers, electronic support measures, and onboard mission computers. Together, these systems allow aircraft to respond in real time to evolving threat environments.
As potential adversaries field more capable radar systems and networked air defenses, the US military and its partners continue to prioritize electronic warfare upgrades alongside kinetic weapons and sensors.
Support for Foreign Military Sales partners
More than half of the contract value is tied to Foreign Military Sales funding, underscoring strong demand from allied air forces operating US built or US integrated fighter aircraft.
FMS customers often rely on US approved electronic warfare systems to ensure interoperability, shared threat libraries, and access to long term sustainment. By procuring the same RF countermeasure systems used by US forces, partner nations can maintain common standards and benefit from ongoing upgrades.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency oversees FMS cases, while program execution for aviation systems typically falls to Naval Air Systems Command or the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
Contracting authority and oversight
Naval Air Systems Command serves as the contracting activity for this award. NAVAIR manages research, development, acquisition, and sustainment for Navy and Marine Corps aviation platforms, including fixed wing aircraft, rotary wing aircraft, and associated mission systems.
The command frequently handles electronic warfare and self protection procurements for joint and allied programs, reflecting its role as a central authority for naval aviation technology.
Industry context
BAE Systems remains one of the leading suppliers of electronic warfare systems to the US Department of Defense. Its portfolio includes radar warning receivers, digital RF memory jammers, electronic attack pods, and integrated self protection suites.
Recent Pentagon budget documents and contract announcements show sustained investment in electronic warfare as a response to increasingly dense and capable air defense environments. Programs tied to fighter survivability continue to receive steady funding even as broader defense priorities shift.
Authoritative reporting on US defense contracts is routinely published by the Department of Defense, Naval Air Systems Command, and outlets such as Defense News, Janes, and Aviation Week.
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