USAF spends big on airborne AEHF terminals
A USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint lands at RAF Mildenhall on 18 April 2019. (Photo: USAF/Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron)
Raytheon has received a ten-year, $960 million IDIQ contract from the USAF Nuclear Weapons Center to support Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) radiation-hardened SATCOM terminals aboard aircraft.
Services include interim contractor support, contractor logistics support, terminal depot activation, terminal hardware/software procurement and studies associated with support of AEHF terminals.
Raytheon provides protected AEHF terminals for the USAF, US Army and USN, with more than 500 systems in service.
The company obtained a $442.3 million contract in mid-January 2020 under the Force Element Terminal (FET) programme, to install AEHF terminals aboard USAF B-52 strategic bombers and RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft.
Both aircraft types are switching from the Military Strategic Tactical Relay satellite constellation to AEHF.
More from Air Warfare
-
Finland secures possible $1.07 billion AMRAAM deal with US State Department
The Nordic country is set to bolster its defence capabilities after its foreign military sales request for AIM-120D-3 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs) was approved.
-
DSEI 2025: UK launches Project Octopus to deliver thousands of interceptor drones to Ukraine
The programme will work to build and deploy the drones to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia, coming a day after Poland shot down 19 Russian drones in its airspace.
-
DSEI 2025: NATO members evaluate Black Widow UAV as it joins NSPA catalogue
The addition of Red Cat’s Black Widow to NATO’s NSPA catalogue opens the doors for allied forces to more easily procure the AI-enabled drone.
-
DSEI 2025: Deutsche Aircraft takes aim at special mission market with D328MR
The company plans to offer its D328eco commercial aircraft as a multi-role variant, and spoke to Shephard at DSEI 2025 about its ambitions for the future.
-
DSEI 2025: New AR3 EVO puts Tekever’s modularity ambitions under the spotlight
An evolution of the Tekever AR3, the AR3 EVO that broke cover at DSEI incorporates the thousands of incremental evolutions the company has implemented through its spiral development, geared towards delivering a constant stream of improved aircraft to Ukraine.
-
DSEI 2025: Schiebel reveals two weaponised Camcopter UAVs
The new capabilities are based on platforms already in use or in development, and are designed to perform in demanding defence missions.