Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract to provide a Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator (CEESIM) system to support maintenance of the U.S. Air Force E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) Electronic Support Measures Operational Computer Program software.

The contract was awarded by Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA). Northrop Grumman will deliver the CEESIM to Tinker Air Force Base Avionics Integration Support Facility (AISF), located in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The CEESIM provides navigation and pulse data generated from customized scenarios. It enables ASIF software engineers to model a real-world environment and to test software changes by injecting pulses into the avionics hardware.

"The flexibility of the AWACS CEESIM system allows for adaptation to a wide variety of both system-under-test and existing laboratory external control interfaces," said Joe Downie, president of Northrop Grumman's Amherst Systems business unit.

"This flexibility provides a cost-effective transition from the existing simulator to a state-of-the-art, supportable, modern simulator capability, in support of fifth-generation electronic warfare systems."

The AWACS CEESIM system will replace an Advanced Multiple Environment Simulator (AMES) system that has been operating at Tinker Air Force Base for 14 years.

The CEESIM replacement unit allows automatic conversion of legacy AMES emitter files to CEESIM emitter files for seamless reuse of AISF threat data and test scenarios.

The simulator also demonstrates the CEESIM versatility allowing for direct stimulation using radio frequency, intermediate frequency and digital outputs.

DMEA is a Department of Defense applied engineering facility charged with keeping microelectronics components in our military systems operational and technologically current.

DMEA works in cooperation with both defense prime contractors and the commercial semiconductor industry to ensure that the full range of military systems, developed over 40 years, are supportable and operationally ready to perform their mission.