The US Department of Defense has awarded Florida-based Extant Aerospace a contract worth up to $147.3 million to supply components for the ALE-47 airborne countermeasure dispenser system.
Under the six-year agreement, the firm will cover the production of line-replaceable and shop-replaceable units for the heat decoy launchers.
Initial funding of $5.1 million is obligated at award, drawing $1.1 million from fiscal 2026 defense working capital funds, $1.8 million from fiscal 2025 navy aircraft procurement, and $2.2 million from fiscal 2026 navy aircraft procurement.
The contract also accommodates foreign military sales to support international defense orders.
Work for the initiative will be facilitated at the company’s site in Melbourne, Florida, with progress to be coordinated with the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
The contract follows Extant’s June milestone at its Melbourne plant to expand the infrastructure and increase workforce in support of major defense programs.
The ALE-47 System
The ALE-47 enhances aircraft survivability by dispensing chaff and flares to protect fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft against radio frequency and infrared-guided missile threats.
The system integrates with onboard radar and missile warning receivers to automatically determine and release optimal countermeasure responses.
ALE-47 was originally developed by Tracor, now under BAE Systems, and is being fielded on over 30 aircraft across more than 30 countries.
