■ Russia is to supply the Croatian air force with 10 new-build Mil Mi-171Sh NATO-compatible utility transport helicopters as part of a debt repayment deal between Moscow and Zagreb. The aircraft will be manufactured by the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant. The Mi-171Sh contract, valued at $65 million, includes provision of test equipment, spares and training for Croatian pilots and engineers. Deliveries are due to begin in early-2007.
■ The US Air Force has awarded Raytheon $33.8 million and Lockheed Martin $32.7 million under the fiscal year 2006 competition to supply Paveway II laser-guided bomb kits.
■ Teledyne Controls is to supply the aircraft health monitoring system for the Boeing P-8A Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft. The system will be an enhanced version of the company’s commercial digital flight data acquisition unit. Meanwhile, the Indian navy is evaluating a proposed export variant of the P-8A, dubbed the P-8I.
■ Lockheed Martin is to demonstrate a three-dimensional imaging laser radar suitable for installation on the Predator unmanned air vehicle under a $7.8 million US Air Force Research Laboratory contract. Under a $10.3 million AFRL contract, New Mexico-based Akamai Physics is to demonstrate an active multi-spectral chemical sensor, Bright Onyx, capable of operating on a UAV to provide remote detection of weapons of mass destruction that might be on ships inbound to the USA.
Source: Flight International
