Oman has requested the sale of two Goodrich DB-110 or two BAE Systems F-9210 podded reconnaissance systems, along with a ground exploitation station for recently ordered Lockheed Martin F-16s. A deal could be worth $49 million. Lockheed Martin has received a $27 million contract to upgrade US Customs Service P-3Bairborne early-warning aircraft. Changes will bring the aircraft into line with USCS P-3 interceptors and include glass cockpits with new flight management systems, updated mission systems, upgraded radar, communications and navigation systems. The US State Department has purchased eight Bell Huey II upgrade kits for the upgrade of Peruvian national police UH-1Hs as part of the war on drugs. DynCorp has been selected by Pratt &Whitney Canada to produce installation kits for its UH-1 upgrade, which replaces the Lycoming T53 with a PT6C-67D. Sigma Aerospace has received a three-year contract with a two-year option from the Royal Netherlands Air Force to support Rolls-Royce T56 engines and Hamilton Sundstrand propellers for the Lockheed Martin C-130H. The Malaysian air force has awarded the company a three-year contract to support C-130 propellers. Italy's Galileo Avionica has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed Martin covering participation in the Joint Strike Fighter programme. Galileo-controlled Fiar and Meteor are expected to receive contracts worth €200 million ($196 million) over the next eight years. Piaggio Aero Industries is expected to sign a similar deal next year. Bell Boeing has been awarded a $32.3 million US Navy contract to reconfigure four low-rate initial productionV-22 Ospreys to a safe return-to-flight specification. Work includes depreservation, software upgrades, anti-icing instrumentation modifications, hydraulic and fuel line clearance redesigns and incorporation of specification-compliant fuel cells.
Source: Flight International
