Boeing resumes EMARSS work

The U.S. Army reports that Boeing has resumed work in building the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System.The stop-order on the project, which came amid a bidding war with protests last December against the Army and its selection process, was lifted in June.The three losing bidders -- L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin/Sierra Nevada, and Northrop Grumman -- had filed protests with the U.S. Government Accountability Office after Boeing's Nov. 30 win of the contract."(Because of the protest) the GAO asked the Army to review its areas which did the selection," said Lt. Col. Dean Hoffman, product manager for the Medium Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System."The Army did that, went back to the source selection authority and gave its determination of which, once again, the authority decided that Boeing is the best value for the government."The EMARSS program aircraft is "a manned multi-intelligence system that (will) detect, locate, classify, identify and trace surface targets in day and night, near-all-weather conditions with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy," the Army said.Boeing's EMARSS will consist of a commercial derivative aircraft -- the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 -- equipped with an electro-optic and infrared full-motion video sensor, a communications intelligence collection system, an aerial precision guidance system, line-of-sight tactical and beyond-line-of-sight communications suites, two operator workstations, and a self-protection suite.Its capabilities include an electro-optical/infrared with full motion video sensor, a communications intelligence sensor, and an Aerial Precision Guidance sensor -- all supported by line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight communications.Hoffman said, "We're hoping is to be able to have the first platform deployed … in the 2012, early 2013 timeframe."