Airborne Recon Low (ARL)

The Airborne Recon Low (ARL) program is a Department of Defense acquisition initiative focused on airborne radar and reconnaissance capabilities. Based on the contract descriptions and hardware procurements, the program appears to encompass both manned and unmanned aerial reconnaissance platforms. The program's scope includes research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDTE) of aircraft systems, airframes, and associated radar equipment.

The program's contract awards from 2000-2007 ranged from approximately $298,000 to $239 million, with a mix of both firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract types. Notable contractors included Northrop Grumman Space & Missile in San Jose, California, and AAI Corporation in Hunt Valley, Maryland. A significant procurement was the $239 million contract for an Improved GNAT (I-GNAT) Unmanned Aircraft System, which included three prototype air vehicles with payloads, system reliability components, spare parts, logistics support, and flight operator personnel. The primary contracting agencies were the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. No set-aside designations were used in any of the reviewed contracts. Primary places of performance included Maryland and California facilities.