Raytheon has received a Lockheed Martin contract to equip the United Arab Emirates' 80 Block F-16s with the ALE-50 towed decoy. The ALE-50 is carried by US Air Force F-16s. Pratt & Whitney has received a seven-year, $352 million contract to supply spares for TF33 turbofans powering US Air Force Boeing B-52s, KC-135s and E-3s and Northrop Grumman E-8s. Rockwell Collins has been selected by the USAF to upgrade 12 special-purpose Boeing C/KC-135s to the same avionics configuration as Pacer CRAG-modified KC-135s. Work will be completed in 2002. ITT Gilfillan is to supply mobile approach control systems under a USAF contract potentially worth over $80 million. The first three shelter-based radar systems will be delivered in 18 months. The US Air Force is to upgrade its 105 Sikorsky HH-60G combat search and rescue helicopters with Rockwell Collins' ARC-210 radios to provide UHF satellite communications. Work will be completed in 2005. Northrop Grumman is to produce replacement rudders for US Navy/Marine Corps and Finnish air force Boeing F/A-18s under a $15 million contract to be completed in 2004. The US Navy is to retrofit its Boeing F/A-18C/Ds with titanium power transmission shafts, produced by TRW Aeronautical Systems under a $7 million contract, to reduce vibration and increase system critical speed. ITT Avionics is to supply survivability systems, comprising radar and laser warning receivers and point chemical detector for the US Army's Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. The French defence ministry has ordered two Airbus Corporate Jetliners (ACJs) as VIP transports. The first ACJ will be delivered in November next year. The second will follow in April 2004. Newport News Shipbuilding has been awarded a $161 million research and design contract in support of the US Navy's Future Aircraft Carrier Programme. The work will be completed by September 2002.
Source: Flight International
