The Navy gave BAE Systems a $33.6 million low-rate initial production contract for the AN/ALE-55 anti-missile system.

AN/ALE55 is part of the Navy Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) system that protects fighter aircraft from radar-guided missiles.

"We conducted a very successful production readiness review and believe BAE Systems will continue to perform, produce, and deliver a very capable system," said Capt. Paul Overstreet of the Naval Air Systems Command. "The ALE-55 will significantly enhance self-protection for our aircraft across a range of threats."

The ALE-55 consists of an onboard electronic frequency converter (EFC) and a fiber-optic towed device (FOTD). The EFC converts radio frequencies to light that is transferred over a fiber-optic cable to a transmitter in the FOTD that jams missile threats to the aircraft.

BAE Systems began low-rate initial production of the AN/ALE-55 Lot IV in June last year and is expected to complete production of Lot V in September 2011. When combined with the previous Lot IV award, this Lot V production award increases the total FOTD deliveries to 473 and the total contract value to $65.6 million.