Northrop Grumman awarded contract for Royal Netherlands Air Force AN/ALQ-131 ECM pods upgrade.

Northrop Grumman Systems has been awarded a $7 million follow-on contract for DRE, Netherlands to provide action for the upgrade of Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) AN/ALQ-131 (V) Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) Pod.

AN/ALQ-131ECM pod. (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)

This program is focused on the redesign of the ALQ-131 Digital Receiver Exciter and ALM-256 Intermediate Level Support Equipment. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 15, 2022. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman has fielded more than 1,600 ALQ-131 pods, which used state-of-the-art technology to successfully protect aircrews and aircraft in every conflict since becoming operational in the 1980s. The system provides protection to the aircraft from a variety of radar detection and fire control threats, improving an individual aircraft’s ability to avoid detection and to protect against active airborne threats. To react to ever-evolving threats worldwide, the ALQ-131 can be quickly reprogrammed.

The AN/ALQ-131 is still operational on the F-16, A-10, F-4, F-15, F-5, and C-130 aircraft.