The US Air Force has awarded L3Harris a $60-million contract to continue producing sensors that let aircrews control the altitude at which a munition detonates.
The DSU-43/B Cockpit Selectable Height of Burst Sensor (C-HOBS) gives crews multiple options for setting a weapon’s burst height instead of relying on a single setting programmed before the mission. The company will produce the sensors at its Cincinnati facility.
C-HOBS works as a proximity and height-of-burst sensor for air-dropped weapons. In simple terms, it helps determine when a munition should explode as it approaches a target.
Aircrews can select the desired burst height manually or through the cockpit, allowing them to adjust the weapon’s effects for different targets and mission conditions.
The system also provides radar-guided sensing and other features intended to improve how the weapon detects its position relative to the target before detonation.
L3Harris Expands Proximity Fuze Production
The C-HOBS order comes as L3Harris expands production of proximity fuzes and sensors for the US military.
In June, the company received a contract worth up to $98 million to supply its Mechanical Proximity Fuze for upgrades to the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, a guided rocket used by US military aircraft.
L3Harris said demand for the fuze is driving a sevenfold increase in production, while investments in tooling, inspection equipment, and suppliers are expected to increase capacity by 20 times.
“As we continue to increase production capacity to support a wartime footing, L3Harris’ long history of fuzing innovation ensures we are ready to meet our customers’ needs today and into the future,” L3Harris Missile Solutions president Scott Alexander said.
