01 Feb 05. Raytheon, Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $6,518,197 modification to a previously awarded other transaction for prototypes agreement to initiate the transfer of the Future Combat Systems communications technology effort to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team to support Stryker vehicle technology upgrades, integration, test and demonstration. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Va., and will be completed in October 2005. Funds will expire at the end of this fiscal year. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the contracting activity (MDA972-01-9-0022, P00017).
01 Feb 05. DRS Technologies, Inc. it has received $153m in new contracts to support the infrared sighting systems on the U.S. Army’s OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. For the awards, DRS will provide depot repair, spares and field service support services and also will manufacture the new Thermal Imaging Systems for the Mast Mounted Sight (MMS) on these helicopters. The Thermal Imaging Systems Upgrade (TISU) enhances the target detection and range performance of the helicopters. It is designed as a drop-in replacement for the existing thermal imaging systems and can be installed at forward maintenance activities sites.
01 Feb 05. The SPN-720 developed by Galileo Avionica has been selected by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) within the contract awarded to AMS to guide the deck landing of the Harrier GR Mk 9 aircraft for the aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious. The SPN-720 is an advanced precision approach radar developed for the Italian Navy for its new Cavour aircraft carrier.
It consists in a very compact, easy to integrate sensor. Contained in 1.3 m3, SPN-720 is remotely operated with double consoles. SPN-720 picks up landing aircraft designations from ship surveillance radar, locks on the aircraft in his initial approach and talks it down a predefined path to the ship deck.
Modifications to meet the Royal Navy requirements will be carried out by Galileo Avionica at its Campi Bisenzio plant.
01 Feb 05. Boeing recently completed upgrading the first of four French E-3F AWACS aircraft with a Radar System Improvement Program (RSIP) kit, ahead of schedule. The modification is part of a $133 million foreign military sales contract with Hanscom, Air Force Base, Mass. The other three AWACS aircraft will receive upgrades by mid-2006 to improve the E-3F’s surveillance capability by increasing the sensitivity of the pulse Doppler radar so the aircraft can detect and track smaller targets. It also improves the radar’s electronic counter-countermeasures capability. Air France Industries, under subcontract to Boeing, performed the installation and checkout at its facility in Le Bourget, France. Boeing flight-tested the upgraded aircraft at the main operating base for the French AWACS in Avord, France. RSIP kits, built by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, upgrade the surveillance radar’s existing computer with a new high-reliability multi-processor. New radar software is easier to maintain and enhance in the future. The modification also upgrades the radar’s antenna, receivers and transmitters.
31 Jan 05. Lockheed Martin has received a $532m contract for 156 PAC-3 Missiles for the U.S. Army, The Netherlands and Japan. This represents the first international sales of the battle-proven PAC-3 Missiles. The contract also includes launcher modification kits as well as kits of spares and other ancillary ground equipment. The PAC-3 Missile is currently the world’s only fielded hit-to-kill, pure kinetic energy air defense missile. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver 156 PAC-3 Missiles to the U.S. Army, 32 of which will then be delivered to The Netherlands and 16 missiles to Japan. The Netherlands and Japan are receiving their respective interceptors under FMS agreements. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Huntsville, AL, is the contracting agency. Delivery of all missiles and equipment should be completed