Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) and L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will develop prototype sensors for the U.S. Army’s next-generation aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance program under the second phase of an other transaction agreement, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.
The companies will further improve the designs of their communications intelligence and electronic intelligence sensors for the service’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program under Phase 2 contracts worth $18 million combined, according to the report.
Under the HADES program, the Army expects the integration of several intelligence sensors onto a fixed-wing, business jet that would replace the RC-12 Guardrail aircraft.
HADES is part of the Army’s Multi-Domain Sensing System program meant to address the service’s deep-sensing requirement by delivering platform-agnostic sensors that support large-scale combat operations on the ground and other multidomain operations.
“The goal is to provide deep-sensing intelligence collection of indicators and warnings, electronic order of battle, and patterns of life for target development. This will allow standoff operations to detect, locate, identify, and track critical targets for the ground commander,” said Dennis Teefy, project director for sensors-aerial intelligence at PEO IEW&S.
The three-phase OTA has a ceiling value of $49 million. After the second phase, the Army will select up to two companies that will advance to the final phase to integrate sensor prototypes onto a contractor-owned aircraft that will undergo flight testing for a year.
