BAE Systems Delivers ‘Friend-or-Foe’ Antenna to US Navy

BAE Systems announced it has delivered its 150th OE-120 Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) antenna to the U.S. Navy. The antenna is used by sailors to identify friendly aircraft and vessels, and supports shipboard air traffic management systems for both IFF and secondary surveillance radars. It is currently on about 150 U.S. and allied ships worldwide, from frigates to aircraft carriers.

Originally designed to support the Aegis Combat System, the OE-120 antenna is the only electronically scanned IFF antenna used by the U.S. Navy. It accommodates all standard IFF modes for a wide range of mission requirements. It offers instantaneous, multiple target identification against today’s sophisticated air threats, providing enhanced situational awareness for the fleet.

“With this product, BAE Systems delivers more than just hardware. It delivers coherent capabilities to our team,” said Navy Capt. Joseph Hornbuckle, Naval Air Traffic Management Systems program manager.

Spanning more than 75 years of IFF experience, BAE Systems has delivered more than 13,000 transponders, 1,000 interrogators and 4,500 combined interrogator/transponder systems. The company’s IFF technology is applicable for existing, new and emerging platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles, ships and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The long history of this high-reliability antenna will continue, as a recent modernization will maintain it in active service for years to come, the manufacturer said.