Army awards contract for IED jammer

The Army awarded a $6.8 million contract to EDO Corp. yesterday to build a device that will help U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq detect roadside bombs.

EDO's Communications and Countermeasures division, located in Simi Valley, Calif., will build 132 Warlock Green electronic countermeasure devices. The contract is part of a $47.4 million contract initiated by the service in November, said a March 1 Defense Department contracts' announcement.

Warlock Green emits a radio frequency that jams communications signals that detonate roadside bombs, called improvised explosive devices. EDO also manufactures a less sophisticated jammer called Warlock Red, said a Dec. 29 company statement.

EDO will start delivering Warlock Green to U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq in June, according to an industry official familiar with the device's fielding. William Walkowiak, the company's investor relations director, and the Army declined comment.

Roadside bombs, the weapon of choice for Iraqi insurgents, have killed or wounded more than 300 soldiers since the United States invaded Iraq last year.