ISR awarded Air Force work

Liberty Lake-based Isothermal Systems Research recently won a $6.6-million Defense Department contract to provide its SprayCool technology for use inside two of the Air Force’s highest-flying aircraft.

The recent contract is for the development of electronics-heat control systems on board the U2 spy plane and the unmanned Global Hawk aircraft.

The ISR project is part of a contract with Northrop Grumman Corp., which has the job of providing the latest integrated intelligence-monitoring and data-tracking equipment inside both aircraft.

ISR is providing cooling and temperature-control equipment that ensures onboard computers and electronic components operate under extreme thermal conditions. The $6.6-million contract is an extension of an earlier contract on which ISR and Northrop Grumman coordinated.

Even though it’s nearly five decades old, the U2 is still a key part of the U.S. military’s surveillance toolbox. It can fly at or above 70,000 feet. At that altitude, the ISR Spraycool chassis prevents the plane’s computer system from becoming too cold or too hot, said company spokesman Karsten Olson.

The same chassis and cooling technology will be used in the Global Hawk, an unmanned airplane used heavily in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Global Hawk can fly at 60,000 feet and can operate for more than 30 hours per flight before landing. During that time, its onboard processors can collect huge amounts of video and other data.

“We highly value our relationship with Northrop Grumman. Once again, SprayCool technology will be a key discriminator for a very important defense program by enabling the use of commercial off-the-shelf hardware,” said Roger Powers, ISR vice president of business development, in a press release.

Military planners have made a concerted effort to buy more off-the-shelf hardware for weapons systems. That option, instead of producing specially prepared units solely built for military use, saves time and money, noted Olson.

The SprayCool system technology developed by ISR is also being used on the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and the Navy’s EA-6B Prowler aircraft.

Olson said Grumman is testing the new equipment this summer. It’s not clear when the equipment will be formally deployed.