Orbital ATK has secured a $27m contract from the US Army to fulfil additional US Air Force (USAF) requirements for the DSU-33D / B proximity sensor.
The present contract is a follow-on award to the full-rate production deal signed in 2013 and it also marks the fourth full-rate production contract awarded to the company.
In addition, it is the second Delivery Order issued against that contract, Orbital ATK stated.
Orbital ATK Defense Systems Group Missile Products division vice-president and general manager Cary Ralston said: "We have provided DSU-33 sensors to the US Armed Forces since 1999. Additional production of this version is testament to their quality and dependability.
"Accuracy and dependability on the battlefield are vital and our employees give their all to meet the expectations of the warfighter."
The DSU-33D/B is an all-weather, active, radio-frequency, ranging radar offers a fire pulse to the bomb fuze, which will result in precise detonation to maximise the effect of the weapon.
This sensor is capable of detecting the height of the weapon above the target area. It uses FMU-139 and FMU-152 bomb fuzes to detonate the weapon at a fixed height above surface targets.
Since 1999, Orbital ATK has delivered more than 154,000 sensors to the US Air Force, US Navy, and allied nations.
The sensor will be manufactured at the Orbital ATK-operated Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) facility in Rocket Center, West Virginia.
Recently, Orbital ATK’ FMU-167/B Hard Target Void Sensing Fuse (HTVSF) completed a Milestone C review, allowing the technology to move from engineering and manufacturing development to production and deployment phase.
Under development with the USAF, this technology also received approval for entry into low rate initial production (LRIP). LRIP is part of the production and deployment phase.
Image: The DSU-33D/B sensor provides proximity sensor functionality for joint direct attack munitions. Photo: courtesy of photographer’s Mate Second Class Felix Garza Jr.
