ARINC Engineering Services, based in Annapolis, Md., received a $9.5 million contract from the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division for technical and engineering services in support of the U.S. Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) and Navy Unmanned Combat Aerial Systems (N-UCAS) programs. The Navy awarded a competitive 5-year follow-on contract valued just under $41 million on February 28, 2012.
ARINC participated in the July 2 landing of a Navy F/A-18D aircraft emulating an unmanned aircraft that successfully performed several approaches to arrested landings on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). It was the first such activity since 2002.
The Navy said its July testing demonstrated cutting edge technology for integrating the digital control of autonomous carrier aircraft operations. Captain Jaime Engdahl, Navy UCAS Program Manager, said the successful landing and launching of the surrogate unmanned aircraft “allows us to look forward to demonstrating that a tailless, strike-fighter-sized, unmanned system can operate safely in the carrier environment.”
ARINC as Prime Contractor has a depth of experience on all 14 qualifications covered in the Navy’s SOW, and leads a team of 12 subcontractors with relevant specialties.
The Navy ATC Systems Division located at St. Inigoes, Md., is acquiring research and development, test, program management, and engineering support for the JPALS and the N-UCAS programs, which are integrating GPS based, automated landing systems in a carrier environment.