South Africa's Denel Aviation has won a R42 million ($6.8 million) contract from Saab of Sweden to develop NATO-standard pylons for the Gripen fighter. It is expected that the development deal will be followed by a manufacturing contract for R240 million, covering at least 200 aircraft. Saab and its Gripen marketing partner, British Aerospace, will provide Denel with a design office equipped with CATIA computer-aided design equipment. Meanwhile, Avitronics has won an R8.4 million contract for the design and development of the Gripen communications control and display unit. Follow-up orders could increase the contract value to R30.6 million. The Royal Air Force of Oman has selected Alenia Marconi Systems to supply an integrated air defence system, including long-range radars, control and reporting systems and an associated communications network. Raytheon has won three Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile contracts from the US Department of Defense, including Lot 13 production of 483 missiles worth $173.2 million, $36.6 million for the third phase preplanned product improvement programme activities and $8 million for support operations. Fokker has won contracts from Boeing for the AH-64D Apache helicopter and C-17 Globemaster transport. Fokker Special Products will build 352 extended forward avionics bays for the Apache during 2002-6 in a deal worth $90 million. An option exists for another 129 shipsets. Fokker Aerostructures will supply structural components in 2000-4 for the C-17. TRW has selected Raytheon to provide extremely high-frequency satellite communications terminals and very low-frequency radios for the Minuteman Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network in a deal worth $98.7 million, if options are exercised. FLIR Systems is to supply Star SAFIRE thermal imagers to the US Marine Corps, for Bell UH-1Ns, and the US Navy, for Lockheed Martin P-3s.
Source: Flight International
