USAF to buy 779 AN/ALR-69A(V) radar warning receivers from Raytheon

The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded an indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to Raytheon for the delivery of AN/ALR-69A(V), which is claimed to be the world’s first all-digital radar warning receiver.

Under the terms of the deal, the USAF will procure 779 units or more of Raytheon’s AN/ALR-69A(V) for integration on to its fleet of tactical air and large body aircraft.

The ALR-69A is designed to serve as an affordable and effective solution capable of providing the USAF with increased protection in the modern threat environment.

Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems vice-president Travis Slocumb said: “The ALR-69A provides USAF pilots the situational awareness required to operate in current and future complex emitter environments.

“We will continue to upgrade the receiver and add machine learning-based modules so the system can autonomously adapt to new threats.”

The radar warning receiver helps enhance aircrew survivability by providing ‘sensors forward’ situational awareness without making any hardware upgrades, expanding the USAF fleet operability.

In addition to providing an increased detection range, the ALR-69A offers precise and clear threat identification in dense signal environments.

The Raytheon system features a 360-degree coverage that is provided by four independent radar receivers, each covering one quadrant of the aircraft.

Integrated with advanced broadband digital receiver technology and an open architecture design, the system is potentially compatible with virtually any airborne platform.

The ALR-69A all-digital radar warning receiver is currently installed on the USAF’s C-130H and KC-46A aircraft, and is being tested on the F-16 Fighting Falcon.