The US Army has approved Northrop Grumman’s ATHENA missile warning sensor for Phase II of the Improved Threat Detection System (ITDS) missile warning solution.
The ITDS is the US Army Aviation’s future threat warning system designed to shield aircraft against a range of threats, including drones, missiles, rockets, artillery, lasers, and small arms.
It is a replacement for the US Army’s Common Missile Warning System, which is deployed on helicopters and light fixed-wing aircraft.
Installation is planned across the current and future rotary-wing fleets, with priority given to the MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft and the AH-64 Apache.
Improved Threat Detection System
The ITDS program seeks a solution capable of detecting and defeating threats at a much longer range than current systems.
The infrared sensor suite will detect and classify threats, activating kinetic or non-kinetic countermeasures to defeat them.
“This critical capability is required for Army Aviation to maintain overmatch against near peer threats and enables advanced tactics through increased detection range, improved detection in clutter, and threat agnostic algorithms to rapidly respond to emerging threats and allow the execution of full spectrum multi-domain operations,” US Army Project Manager for Aircraft Survivability Equipment Col. Brock Zimmerman said.
ATHENA Missile Warning Sensor
Northrop Grumman’s ATHENA missile warning sensor features enhanced resolution and processing power, giving users more time to respond to threats and improving maneuverability.
It comprises multiple sensors in a standard installation, enabling 360-degree coverage around the aircraft.
“Onboard processing provides actionable information instantly while preserving mission computing resources for other functions,” according to Northrop Grumman.
“This processing power, combined with advanced software that is updated easily to address changing mission requirements, allows for additional survivability capabilities.”
ATHENA seamlessly integrates into an aircraft with flare or laser-based countermeasure systems, such as the Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system.
Unlike the CIRCM system, ATHENA can also detect threats beyond infrared-guided missiles, including hostile fire and anti-tank guided missiles.
Phase II Effort
Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin were awarded ITDS Phase I Other Transaction Agreements in July 2024, which included technology demonstration and maturation.
Phase II will center on design, demonstration testing, architecture development, prototype hosting, missile warning sensor characterization, flight performance testing, and aircraft integration, culminating in the initial delivery of ITDS prototypes.
In early 2026, the program will transition into the rapid prototyping pathway, featuring the 10 test prototypes and 100 fieldable systems.
A residual operational capability is expected by 2029.
