Northrop Grumman has been chosen by the U.S. Army to participate in the first phase of the Improved Threat Detection System program. This will showcase the company’s Advanced Tactical Hostile Engagement Awareness, or ATHENA, sensor under an Other Transaction Agreement via the Consortium Management Group, Inc., representing the Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace.
ATHENA is a next-gen missile warning sensor that provides 360-degree, always-on situational awareness, enhancing aircraft protection. It offers high-resolution surround video and wide-band threat detection, rapidly pinpointing incoming EO/IR threats like hostile fire, anti-tank guided missiles, and small to large-caliber weapons.
“ATHENA can see where pilots can’t, even looking through an aircraft floor,” Dennis Neel, survivability development programs director, Northrop Grumman. “The sensor delivers safety in-flight through advanced threat warning capabilities and situational awareness previously limited to larger aircraft, making missions safer for pilots and aircrews.”
Northrop Grumman said ATHENA meets current mission requirements while enabling the U.S. Army to counter future threats. It has been tested in live-fire exercises and is designed as a form-fit replacement for legacy aircraft sensors, integrating with countermeasure systems like the Common Infrared Countermeasure system.