TRW Systems and Information Group has won a US Department of Defense contract worth $45 million to develop a production version of the Joint Signal Intelligence Avionics Family High Band Subsystem Demonstration unit. The system will provide signal intelligence and geolocation capability for airborne reconnaissance platforms. French armaments agency DGA has awarded Aerospatiale Matra Missiles a contract to modernise Exocet anti-ship missiles. Included in the work will be new motors for 50 MM38 variants this year and other variants from 2003. The missile's electronics will also be upgraded. Northrop Grumman has received a $300 million Boeing contract to provide its Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar for four 737 airborne warning and control system aircraft ordered by Australia. An Aerojet/Pratt & Whitney team will test two advanced solid rocket motors late next year under a $9 million contract for Phase II of the US Air Force's Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology demonstration programme. The best technologies will be incorporated into an improved motor for a 2004 firing, which may lead to development of a future launch vehicle upper stage. Orbital Sciences will launch a single-stage guided suborbital rocket in March 2002 from Kodiak, Alaska, under a $5 million contract for the Quick Reaction Launch Vehicle-2 (QRLV-2) programme. Orbital launches a sounding rocket from Kodiak this month, under the QRLV-1 programme. L-3 Communications is to provide solid-state recorders for the Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) under development by Raytheon for US Navy Boeing F/A-18s. L-3 will supply up to 28 recorders for development and low-rate production, with potential to produce 80 more units. Goodrich will supply new design nose gear doors for 200 Lockheed Martin F-16s to be delivered to Greece, Israel, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates from 2002.
Source: Flight International
