Communications and Power Industries bags radar, towed-decoy contracts for US Air Force

Communications & Power Industries Inc (CPI) has won two defence contracts worth up to $13.5 million, including a $9.7 million indefinite delivery - indefinite quantity (IDIQ) US Air Force award to support a radar system and a $3.8 million Raytheon award to support an airborne-towed decoy system.

Work on both contracts will be performed at CPI's microwave power products division at Palo Alto in California. CPI is a subsidiary of CPI International Inc.

The IDIQ contract is for the repair and replacement of hybrid travelling wave tube, with klystron or twystron technology, in support of a high-power radio frequency amplifier for the TPS-75 radar system. CPI will provide repair services for up to 150 twystrons for the TPS-75 radar system over a five-year period.

The 84th Combat Sustainment Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, awarded the fixed-price contract to CPI.

The TPS-75 radar system is a mobile, tactical radar system capable of providing azimuth, range, height and 'identification friend or foe' (IFF) information for an area of 240 nautical miles.

The transportable system provides long-range radar data to support operations and control of tactical aircraft, and presents 'real-time' radar airspace pictures and data via radio, telephone, microwave relay or satellite communications link.

The $3.8 million contract award is for the production of travelling wave tubes to be used in the ALE-50 towed decoy system. The contract was awarded by Raytheon Company's Electronic Warfare Systems organisation in Goleta, California.

The ALE-50 system has played a key role in aircraft self-protection for several military conflicts and is currently operational on the F-16, B-1B and F/A- 18 aircraft. CPI has been producing travelling wave tubes (TWTs) for the system since 1992. The production contract calls for the delivery of TWTs through September 2008.

CPI International, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is CPI's parent company. CPI is a leading provider of microwave, radio frequency, power and control solutions for critical defence, communications, medical, scientific and other applications. It also develops, manufactures and distributes products used to generate, amplify and transmit high-power / high-frequency microwave and radio frequency signals and / or provides power and control for various applications.