U.S. Army advances Northrop Grumman’s next-gen threat detection for aircraft survivability.

The U.S. Army has authorized Northrop Grumman to enter Phase II of its Improved Threat Detection System (ITDS) program, aimed at safeguarding aircraft from missiles and drones. The move accelerates the Army’s response to rising aerial threats and modernizes protection for frontline aviation units.

Maryland, United States, October 9, 2025, 10:44 AM (CEST) - According to information published by the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (PEO IEW&S) on July 31, 2025, the service has advanced the development timeline for its next-generation aircraft survivability technology, the Improved Threat Detection System (ITDS). Northrop Grumman has been approved to proceed into Phase II of a competitive prototyping effort under an expanded Other Transaction Agreement (OTA). The decision follows months of successful testing and internal analysis pointing to an urgent operational need to counter the evolving landscape of missile, drone, and hybrid aerial threats confronting U.S. Army aviation.
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U.S. Army AH-64E Apache, a key platform for the new Improved Threat Detection System developed with Northrop Grumman. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

Sources close to the program confirm that this move marks a strategic inflection point for Army modernization. With rapid acceleration now underway, Northrop Grumman will deliver a full suite of prototype systems designed to provide 360-degree detection and geolocation of multiple incoming threats, including infrared-guided missiles, anti-tank guided munitions (ATGMs), small drones, and radar-directed weapons. These systems are expected to begin installation on both legacy platforms such as the AH-64 Apache and future vertical lift aircraft by 2027. Initial operational deployment is slated before the end of the decade.

The ITDS (Improved Threat Detection System ) program, designed from inception to adhere to Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) standards, reflects a doctrinal shift in U.S. Army aviation survivability. Where previous generations relied heavily on reactive missile warning systems, ITDS aims to shift the engagement paradigm toward predictive threat awareness and integrated countermeasure cueing. The core of the system is Northrop Grumman’s ATHENA sensor suite (Advanced Tactical Hostile Engagement Awareness), a modular solution offering all-weather, day and night detection across the full electromagnetic spectrum. ATHENA fuses high-resolution infrared and ultraviolet sensing with AI-powered signal processing, enabling crews to not only detect threats earlier but also pinpoint their origin with greater accuracy than current systems. This capability, Army officials note, is critical for future conflicts in GPS-denied, electronically contested environments where adversaries are expected to deploy layered anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) systems.

According to defense acquisition officials familiar with the program’s internal milestones, Phase II will see the delivery of up to ten prototype ITDS units for operational evaluation. These will be installed across a diverse mix of aviation platforms, including both manned and unmanned rotary-wing assets, to test cross-platform compatibility, modular integration, and survivability performance in live-fire conditions. Early testing will be conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Dugway Proving Ground under simulated peer-threat environments replicating the Indo-Pacific and European theaters.

While the U.S. Army has not publicly disclosed the total value of the Phase II OTA, multiple sources within the defense industry suggest that Northrop’s solution edged out Lockheed Martin’s competing bid due to superior sensor fidelity, modular scalability, and advanced geolocation algorithms. A senior official within the Army’s Aviation Development Directorate, speaking to Army Recognition on background, described ITDS as one of the most transformational survivability systems the Army has attempted in two decades.

Strategically, ITDS will not operate in isolation. The U.S. Army intends for it to interface with a suite of existing and emerging defensive technologies, including the Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM), Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), and the Modular Open Systems Approach-based Mission Systems Architecture (MSA). These technologies are under development for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). The goal is an integrated threat picture across platforms to enable faster decision-making, shared threat libraries, and synchronized countermeasures across formations.

Defense analysts tracking the program note that ITDS represents a pivotal capability in the Army’s effort to maintain air dominance at the tactical edge. “What the Army is building here is not just a better missile warning system,” said Dr. Alicia Greer, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). “They’re building the digital nervous system of future Army aviation, where threat detection, cueing, and engagement are fused into a seamless kill chain.”

However, the road ahead remains challenging. Integrating AI-enabled sensor systems onto legacy platforms presents both engineering and cybersecurity hurdles, particularly under contested-spectrum conditions. The Army has already flagged cyber hardening, electromagnetic resilience, and EW spoofing resistance as critical Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) for ITDS. Budgetary uncertainty also looms. While the OTA structure allows for flexibility in prototyping, full-scale production funding will ultimately depend on congressional appropriations in FY2027 and beyond.

In the near term, the U.S. Army plans a series of live-fire demonstrations beginning in late 2026. These will culminate in a major Force-on-Force exercise by 2028, where ITDS prototypes will be assessed in a joint operational environment. If successful, the system could become a cornerstone of Army Aviation doctrine heading into the 2030s.

Army Recognition will continue to follow this story as the U.S. Army releases further technical documentation and as Northrop Grumman begins prototype delivery. Our team will seek exclusive insights from program engineers and frontline aviation commanders involved in operational testing.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.