Thales Sensors has won a £6 million ($8.3 million) contract to supply its Shrike electronic countermeasures techniques generator to the UK Royal Air Force for use in the defensive aids system of the RAF's Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) aircraft. Sister company Thales Avionics is to upgrade the Central Tactical System of all 64 Royal Navy AgustaWestland Lynx HMA8 helicopters. Northrop Grumman is to supply its AAR-54(V) passive missile approach warning system to the Royal Netherlands Air Force for Boeing CH-47D Chinook and Eurocopter AS532U2 Cougar transport helicopter fleets. The $7.3 million contract starts this year and will last until 2003. Aerojet has received a $3 million two-year contract from Raytheon to deliver variable-thrust rocket motors for NetFires missiles to be tested under the US Army/Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Future Combat System programme. Northrop Grumman has won a US Air Force $20.5 million contract for long lead parts/advanced procurement in support of low rate initial production of two RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned air vehicles and one mission control element. Saab Bofors Dynamics has been awarded a SKr500 million ($46 million) contract to upgrade the Finnish navy's RBS15 anti-ship missile system. AgustaWestland and FiatAvio have agreed to produce and support the T700/ T6E1 engine for Italian military NH Industries NH90 helicopters. The contract covers an initial 232 engines for 116 helicopters of a planned total of 396 engines for 196 helicopters. Aircraft deliveries are to begin in 2004. FiatAvio, which co-developed the 2,000kW (2,685shp) T700/T6E1 with General Electric, will have a 60% share in the production of the Italian NH90's engines. Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $210.9 million contract to provide fiscal year 2002 operation and maintenance of the Air Combat Command's Tethered Aerostat Radar System.
Source: Flight International
