PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The U.S. Navy and Thales USA Inc. have cleared a maintenance backlog affecting Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) systems and returned production lead times for high-power amplifiers to normal, according to the Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Office (PMA-213).
The recovery addressed shortages of High-Power Amplifiers (HPAs) used in the AN/URN-32 and AN/URN-33 TACAN systems. These systems provide aircraft with direction and distance information from TACAN stations on ships and shore locations, supporting navigation during night operations, poor weather and other difficult conditions.
PMA-213 said the amplifier shortage resulted from supply-chain disruptions and bottlenecks during the integration of key supplier production lines.
To meet immediate requirements at sea, Navy engineers moved older Series 1 amplifiers from land-based installations to operational ships, while newer Series 2 configurations were directed to new-construction ships.
Thales increased repair capacity by adding dedicated test benches and specialized personnel. Engineering teams also introduced software updates to align the user interfaces of the two hardware generations and reduce long-term data requirements.
Performance-to-Plan Approach
The recovery was coordinated through a Performance-to-Plan (P2P) framework involving PMA-213, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), the U.S. Coast Guard, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Webster Outlying Field.
“By moving away from traditional contracting to a rigorous P2P framework, we turned transparent data into decisive action,” said Capt. Walter B. Massenburg Jr., PMA-213 program manager. He said Thales worked directly with the government to address production and repair problems and accelerate deliveries.
Sonu Goel, a Thales vice president, said the company addressed supply-chain challenges, invested in dedicated production capacity and aligned software and hardware to strengthen TACAN system support for the fleet and joint partners.
Thales USA is the sole designer, developer and manufacturer of the AN/URN-32 and AN/URN-33 systems. Related production work is performed in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In June 2024, Thales received a firm-fixed-price contract worth about $10.5 million covering 11 OE-4691 TACAN antenna systems, 196 high-power assemblies, 49 low-power assemblies and related components. A June 2025 modification exercised an option for additional equipment, including four AN/URN-33 beacon kits and 68 high-power assemblies.
The overall production contract has a potential value of roughly $42 million and runs into 2028.
The Navy said production lead times have now returned to normal and the maintenance backlog has been completely cleared. PMA-213 is using the effort as an example of how government and industry can address production and sustainment problems during changes in the defense industrial base.
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