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U.S. NAVY Awards Second LRIP Contract To BAE SYSTEMS For JSOW Unitary BROACH Program

03 Feb 2004

The U.S. Navy has awarded a second low rate initial production (LRIP) contract to BAE Systems to provide an additional 97 BROACH multi-stage warheads for the Navys Joint Standoff Weapon Unitary (JSOW-C). In July 2003, BAE Systems received a contract for 42 systems. Initial deliveries for those units will begin next month.

Incorporating multi-stage warhead technology, the BROACH system consists of a penetrating shaped-charge in front of a standard conventional follow-through-bomb. The system provides blast and fragmentation effectiveness, as well as hardened target penetration. BROACH is designed to give JSOW enhanced effectiveness against a broader spectrum of targets.

The JSOW-C is the first U.S. weapon to integrate the BROACH warhead. The British military employed the BROACH system for the first time during the recent conflict in Iraq, when it armed the Storm Shadow cruise missile.

The Navys Operational Test and Evaluation Force, an independent organisation from the program office, is currently conducting operational tests of the BROACH system using representative flight plans and targets. The flight tests will demonstrate the functionality of the entire JSOW-C weapon system, with special emphasis on the effectiveness of the BROACH warhead against both soft open targets and its ability to perforate specific hardened targets. During the tests, the system is integrated into production representative JSOW-C missiles and launched from a Navy F/A-18C at Naval Air Systems Command Test Ranges in California.

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, integrates BROACH into the weapon system and is responsible for the development of Imaging Infrared Seeker hardware and Autonomous Targeting Acquisition (ATA) software, thus providing the Navy with a launch and leave weapon with standoff precision strike capability.

Since 1999, JSOW has been proven in combat in Operation Southern Watch, NATO Operation Allied Force and Operation Enduring Freedom, with more than 400 weapons employed.

About BAE SYSTEMS

BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery, and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea, and in space. The company designs, manufactures, and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. It is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems.

BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company employs more than 90,000 people and generates annual sales of approximately 12 billion through its wholly owned and joint-venture operations.