10 Oct 02. DRS Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: DRS – News) has been awarded a new contract to provide Enhanced Command Consoles (ECC) for a U.S. Air Force E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post. The E-4B is a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200 aircraft.
In the event of national emergencies or destruction of ground command control centers, this E-4B will fill the role of National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) for the National Command Authority. The aircraft provides a modern, highly survivable, command, control and communications center to direct U.S. strategic forces, coordinate civil authorities and execute emergency combat orders. The aircraft, called the Doomsday aircraft in a recent BBC2film on 9/11, also supports requests by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to temporarily become the command and control center in the event of natural disasters.
DRS’s Enhanced Command Consoles will serve as the primary computer workstations for controlling the audio communications subsystem and will be used for multiple tasking at operator locations. The contract, with a maximum value of $1m, was awarded to DRS by The Boeing Company’s (NYSE: BA – News) Wichita Development and Modification Center, in Wichita, Kansas. Work for this contract will be accomplished by the company’s DRS Electronic Systems unit in Gaithersburg, Maryland. System deliveries are expected to be completed in 2003.
“Receipt of this award reflects our customer’s confidence in our reputation as a leading supplier of innovative, highly reliable, embedded workstations and display systems for vital command applications,” said Mark S. Newman, chairman, president and chief executive officer of DRS Technologies. “Our Enhanced Command Consoles provide maximum flexibility for ease of upgrades as new technology emerges.”
October 9th, DRS received new orders, with a combined value of approximately $4m, to provide data link and other communications systems for supporting a variety of U.S. and international military program applications. Work associated with these awards will be accomplished by the company’s DRS Communications Company unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.
On October 3rd, DRS received a $7.6m contract to provide motor control products for the U.S. Navy’s Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD-8) amphibious assault ship.
For this award, DRS will design and manufacture Millennium Motor Control products, which comprise the company’s new solid-state electronic motor control product line. The solution provided will feature a system that can be fully networked to the ship’s LAN (local area network), allowing remote operation and monitoring, enhanced condition-based maintenance functions and reduced life-cycle costs. DRS’s line of motor control products is being installed on all U.S. Navy combatants under construction. DRS received the award from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ Ingalls Operations. Work for this contract will be performed by the company’s DRS Power & Control Technologies unit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The equipment is expected to be delivered in July 2003.