The US Department of Defense has released details of a contract, worth $11.7m, to provide the Air Force with a new supply of radar countermeasure items for its F-22 Raptor fighter jets.

Armtec Countermeasures, an Arkansas-based supplier, will deliver RR-196 countermeasure chaffs to allow F-22 pilots to disperse thin strips of a material that produces a larger radar cross-section intended to blind or disrupt adversarial radar detection.

According to the supplier, its “chaff products offer broad-frequency coverage, high radar reflectivity, and minimal bird-nesting. Armtec chaff is available in S-band through Ka-band and can be tailored to meet specific customer requirements.”

Armtec benefits from a close-knit relationship with the US defence institutions, which directly establish requirements with the aid of specialised government furnished computer simulations and threat models. 

“We then employ our other analytical tools to predict thermochemical performance, trajectories, and effective radiated power. These tools allow us to successfully pass initial Safety of Flight requirements and then conduct effectiveness testing on military aircraft.”

This contract provides for the impulse cartridge programme; pilots will use the countermeasure for combat and training purposes.

Armtec will carry out the work at its facility in Lillington, North Carolina, and it is expected to be completed by 30 September 2027.

Lockheed Martin, the original equipment manufacturer, received a $7bn five-year contract to maintain the US Air Force fleet of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, in December 2019, and is due to conclude this year.

The aircraft’s electronic warfare system includes a radar warning receiver and a BAE Systems information and electronic warfare systems (formerly Lockheed Martin Sanders) missile launch detector.