The US Navy has awarded a firm-fixed-price contract to Boeing to develop and deliver high altitude anti-submarine warfare weapon capabilities (HAAWC), designed to target submarines.
Under the $19.2m cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-fixed-price-incentive, contract, Boeing will develop the precision-guided HAAWC glide weapon using smart bomb technology to serve as an anti-submarine weapon.
The company will also design HAAWC air launch accessory (ALA) assets and equipment, in addition to associated engineering services and support.
Boeing weapons and missile systems vice-president James Dodd said: "The capability HAAWC gives US Navy sub-hunters is unparalleled compared with what is available today."
The glide weapon development will adapt technologies from Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bomb (SMD) for launch from high altitudes and at great distance from targets, to reduce development risk and cost for the navy.
Boeing Direct Attack Weapons director Scott Wuesthoff said, "Providing this advanced capability to Navy warfighters as soon as possible is vital to help protect the United States’ maritime interests around the world."
Designed for internal and external carriage, the SDB system is the next-generation of low-cost and low collateral-damage precision strike weapons.
Used with Mk-83/BLU-110, Mk-84, BLU-109 and Mk-82 warheads, the JDAM is capable of updating its trajectory all through its flight to strike the target through its navigation system.
The contract is valued at $47m including options, and the US Naval Sea Systems Command will serve as the contracting activity.
Scheduled to be complete by April 2016, work under the contract will be carried out in St Charles, Missouri, US.
Image: Boeing’s small diameter bomb installed onboard an aircraft. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.
