Jan 23 2008
Photonic Products Group, Inc., announced today that its INRAD business unit received a follow-on production contract for proprietary ultra-violet (UV) waveband optical filter elements from Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division based in Rolling Meadows, IL. This award is the largest PPGI has received to date from this customer, covering monthly deliveries from February 2008 through July 2009 at double last year's production rate.
These production contracts are for the Northrop Grumman AN/AAR-54(V) Missile Warning System, the AN/AAQ-24(V) Nemesis DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter-Measures) Self-Protection Suite and related systems. The dollar value of the contract was not disclosed.
The subject ultra-violet filters are specialty optical components made from high purity and high uniformity single-crystals of a proprietary material. This synthetic crystal material was developed by Northrop Grumman and is produced for them under license by INRAD. These filters are an optical component of Northrop Grumman's airborne electro-optical missile warning sensors.
Northrop Grumman's anti-missile aircraft defensive systems are currently employed on a variety of US and UK military aircraft operating world-wide, and their numbers are increasing. Originally developed for military aircraft, Northrop Grumman has adapted and is testing its "Guardian(TM)" derivative of their DIRCM system under contract to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), participating in that Department's program to develop and test anti- missile systems designed to protect commercial aircraft.
Dan Lehrfeld, President and CEO of Photonic Products Group commented, "Our team is proud to be Northrop Grumman's supply chain partner for this critical component, keeping pace with their increasing requirements. We believe systems that protect military and commercial aircraft from the proliferating threat of anti-aircraft missiles are experiencing increases in demand throughout the world."