Pictured is a U.S. Air Force photo of F-16s with the 49th Fighter Wing, as they prepare for take-off from Luke AFB, Ariz. on Jan. 29, 2-26.
The Air Force is to award BAE Systems a sole source contract to resolve deficiency reports (DRs) for the company’s ALR-56 radar warning receivers (RWRs) on F-15 and F-16 fighters and C-130 airlifters.
“This effort will resolve software and hardware issues experienced by both the depot and intermediate maintenance levels in support and maintenance of the ALR‐56C/M,” according to a justification and approval (J&A) for the planned sole sourcing to BAE Systems.
The Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagles by Boeing carry the ALR-56C, but the service has begun replacing those RWRs with BAE Systems’ AN/ALQ-250 F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) for F-15Es and F-15EXs. In January last year, the Air Force said that Boeing had received a nearly $616 million cost-plus contract through Dec. 31 2030, for full rate production of EPAWSS.
The ALR-56M is the RWR on the F-16s and C-130s by Lockheed Martin.
Hardware for the ALR-56s, developed in the 1980s and early 1990s, “has been upgraded extensively to extend their usable life spans,” according to the J&A for the ALR-56. “The systems have undergone continuous modernization through circuit card redesigns to address parts obsolescence and the integration of Line Replaceable Units for enhanced capability. Each upgrade has incorporated new or revised TPS [Test Program Sets].”
“BAE Systems’ unique expertise has been instrumental in resolving past challenges and implementing improvements, resulting in increased workforce efficiency,” the Air Force said in the J&A. “This follow-on effort necessitates BAE Systems’ continued support in addressing target hardware DRs, resolving hardware/TPS anomalies, and ensuring test verticality. The increasing age of these systems has led to a rise in DRs, negatively impacting the supply chain by requiring the removal of repairable assets for investigation. This acquisition is therefore essential to ensure the uninterrupted sustainment of this highly specialized system.”
In 2024, BAE Systems said that it was meeting commitments to supply upgraded ALR-56Ms for Air Force C-130Js under a 10-year, $495 million contract awarded by the Defense Logistics Agency in September 2019.
A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.