Sikorsky has received two contracts totalling $221.5 million to build 30 UH-60L/S-70A Black Hawk helicopters for Colombia. Two will be configured for the Colombian police, seven for the air force and 21 for the army. The aircraft, for counter-narcotics missions, will be delivered this year. Raytheon is to begin low-rate initial production of the Standard SM-2 Block IVA surface-to-air missile for the US Navy's area theatre ballistic-missile defence system under a $64.3 million contract. The Block IVA has a dual-mode radio-frequency/infra-red seeker. Sweden's SaabTech Electronics has won an international competition to supply radar warning receivers for German air force Panavia Tornados. The US Army has awarded a $13 million contract to Lockheed Martin and Marvin Engineering to refurbish 250 M272 launchers into M299 Longbow Hellfire launchers. The contract includes options for follow-on production of 1,041 launchers for the US Army and for foreign military sales. The M299 launcher carries four Hellfire II or Longbow Hellfire anti-tank missiles. Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $29 million contract by the US Air Force to supply additional C-130J training systems. One Weapon System Management Trainer will be delivered to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, in November 2003, followed by a Weapon System Trainer in February 2004. The contract also includes activating a training site at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Hill Aerospace and Defense has won a contract from the US Army Aviation and Missile Command for the repair and overhaul of main rotor blade flutter dampeners on UH-60 Black Hawks.
Source: Flight International
