The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin the first low rate initial production contract, worth $88 million, to remanufacture and upgrade seven Sikorsky SH-60Seahawk naval helicopters to SH-60R standard. The US Navy is flight testing the first two SH-60R prototypes and plans to rebuild up to 243 machines. Boeing has received a $10.4 million contract to start low rate initial production of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System for the US Navy, which will receive 37 by 2002 to equip its Boeing F/A-18E/Fs. The US Air Force is expected to award follow-on contracts for the helmet for its Boeing F-15, Lockheed Martin F-16 and Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 fighters. Virginia-based Athena Technologies has received a USN contract to "piggy-back" its failure detection and warning unit on the Boeing X-31 VECTOR to demonstrate the real-time detection of flight control sensor and actuator failures or anomalies in unusual attitudes. Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $7.2 million contract to install new equipment in and structures on Grumman F-14Bs and F-14Ds. Pemco Aviation has been awarded a USAF contract for depot maintenance on 10 Boeing KC-135 tanker aircraft. Computer Sciences has won a $352 million contract from the USAF Education and Training Command to provide base operations support at Lackland AFB, Texas. L-3 Communication's Link Simulation and Training division has won a $13 million USAF contract to update 52 pilot and maintenance personnel training devices for the USAF's Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit fleet. Aerojet has won a $15.1 million contract from Boeing to supply forward booms for the aft fuselage of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter. The 10 shipsets are for the Lot 1 F-22s. Endevco has been selected by the USAF's Munitions Directorate to develop and manufacture a new piezoresistive accelerometer for weapon system fusing.
Source: Flight International
