L3Harris Technologies

Neil Armstrong’s legendary words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” reached millions of captivated listeners on Earth as humanity took its inaugural steps on the Moon. Behind this historic transmission was the high-frequency (VHF) communications technology—developed by L3Harris Technologies—that ensured Armstrong’s voice reached millions of eager listeners on Earth.

The company’s legacy, which began with the Apollo missions, will continue with NASA’s Artemis II mission, set to return humans to the lunar surface in 2025. L3Harris’s advanced communications systems will once again be crucial in maintaining reliable contact between the astronauts and mission control, ensuring the success and safety of this ambitious endeavor.

Powering the Artemis II Mission and Beyond

Through its Aerojet Rocketdyne sub-division, L3Harris delivers the RS-25 engines, the core propulsion system for the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built. These engines are an evolution of the renowned Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) that powered 135 shuttle missions, now re-engineered for deep space expeditions. Leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques and production efficiencies, these next-generation RS-25s offer enhanced thrust capabilities while reducing unit costs by over 30 percent compared to its shuttleera counterparts.

The SLS, equipped with four of these formidable engines, will propel Artemis II’s four-member crew beyond Earth’s orbit, marking the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in over five decades.

While the RS-25 engines provide the necessary propulsion, L3Harris’s state-of-the-art audio communications system will ensure seamless connectivity between the astronauts and mission control. Designed to meet NASA’s stringent standards, this system comprises an audio control unit, a speaker unit and a lightweight audio interface unit that attaches to an astronaut’s suit. Featuring five voice channels, low power consumption and 13 alarms for real-time situational awareness, the audio system exemplifies L3Harris’s dedication to innovation, reliability and astronaut safety.

The system’s modular architecture also highlights its adaptability. Its strategic design will support NASA’s Artemis program and position L3Harris to contribute to future human spaceflight initiatives, including reusable landers and commercial spaceflight endeavors.

With a vision extending to Mars, L3Harris is poised to be a pivotal player in the future of space exploration by pushing the envelope of aerospace engineering and capturing the defining moments of humanity’s journey into the cosmos.

Guardians of the Earth and the Skies

L3Harris’s contributions to space exploration are undeniably impressive, but its innovation doesn’t end at the edge of our atmosphere. Its technological mastery extends deep into the heart of national security and defense, where its groundbreaking solutions play a vital role in protecting our planet and its interests from the ground up.

A prime example of this commitment is its Viper Shield, an all-digital electronic warfare (EW) suite custom-designed to enhance the survivability and mission success of the nextgeneration F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets. This advanced system is a virtual electronic shield, safeguarding pilots against sophisticated, ever-evolving threats in increasingly complex battlespace scenarios.

Developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force, Viper Shield leverages cutting-edge, software-defined technology to provide unprecedented situational awareness and countermeasure capabilities. Its advanced digital radar warning receiver seamlessly integrates with the aircraft’s APG-83 AESA radar, delivering enhanced threat detection and identification in dense radio frequency environments. Meanwhile, the DRFMbased jamming system provides robust protection against advanced threats.

Viper Shield’s open-system design ensures seamless integration with other aircraft systems and facilitates the addition of new capabilities to address emerging threats. Additionally, its modular architecture and commercial-off-theshelf (COTS) technology translates to lower lifecycle costs, easier maintenance and simplified upgrades, making it a cost-effective and adaptable solution for the long term.

Rigorous testing at the U.S. Air Force’s Integrated Defensive Avionics Laboratory has proven Viper Shield’s ability to detect, identify and neutralize multiple threats, even under the most challenging operational conditions. This success and seamless integration with the F-16’s onboard systems demonstrates L3Harris’s commitment to pilot safety and situational awareness, ultimately improving its survivability and mission success.

L3Harris’s mastery of electronic warfare is not limited to new aircraft. Its work on the B-52 Stratofortress, a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force’s fleet, exemplifies its comprehensive approach to modernizing and enhancing existing platforms. Under a 10-year, $947 million contract with the U.S. Air Force, L3Harris is upgrading the AN/ALQ-172 electronic warfare selfprotection system, ensuring this aircraft remains relevant and lethal for decades.

Recent successful test flights have validated the upgraded system’s enhanced capabilities, demonstrating significant improvements in threat acquisition, electronic countermeasure response time and geolocation accuracy. These upgrades bolster the B-52’s effectiveness in modern warfare and make future enhancements more cost-effective and efficient.

Innovating for Defense, Protecting Our Future

L3Harris’s dedication to safeguarding national security extends far beyond the skies. Its recent contract with the U.S. Army, valued at up to $871 million, to supply critical M762A1 and M767A1 Electronic-Time Fuzes demonstrates its deep expertise and commitment to ground-based defense. This expertise, honed over six decades of providing advanced fuzing and ordnance systems to the Department of Defense and international partners, ensures that U.S. forces and allies can access the precise and reliable munitions they need to maintain a tactical advantage.

This strategic expansion into ground-based defense complements L3Harris’s extensive experience in electronic warfare systems and aerial platform modernization, showcasing the company’s comprehensive approach to safeguarding national security across multiple domains.

From Armstrong’s iconic words to the silent, unseen protection of advanced weaponry, L3Harris embodies a legacy of innovation that has transformed the landscape of exploration and security. Its commitment to pushing technological boundaries, forging strategic partnerships and delivering cutting-edge solutions across air, land, sea and space cements its role as an indispensable guardian of our collective future.