Raytheon is to build 436AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, plus training rounds and support equipment, for the US Air Force and Navy under the third low-rate initial production contract, worth $96.2 million. Rolls-Royce has received a $44 million USAF contract for a T56 component improvement programme. The T56 powers Lockheed Martin C-130s and P-3s and Northrop Grumman E-2s. Lockheed Martin is to build 100 JASSM stand off missiles and install the latest anti-spoofing module into their anti-jam global positioning system receivers as part of a $36 million USAF contract. L-3 Communications is to develop technology for a common datalink allowing exchange of data between ground stations and multiple airborne platforms under a $19.3 million USAF contract. Raytheon is to begin low-rate initial production of AQS-22 dipping sonars for the Sikorsky MH-60R under a $16.5 million US Navy contract. Thales Underwater Systems will supply the outboard array and reeling equipment. Boeing is to define, develop and test the SLAM-ER configuration for South Korea under a $10.1 million contract. The missile will arm Korean Boeing F-15Ks. El-Op Electro-Optics Industries is to produce wide-field-of-view head-up displays for Israeli air force F-16Is under a Lockheed Martin contract worth more than $7 million. Smiths Aerospace will provide an integrated health and usage management system and demonstrate flight operations quality assurance for Boeing MH-47 special-operations helicopters under a $3 million US Army contract. The USAF plans to order a Boeing 767-400 in June to use as a Multi-sensor Command & Control Aircraft testbed from 2005. A weapon system integration contract is due to be awarded in the second quarter of next year to Boeing and team members Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The Battle Management Command Control communications and Computers and Intelligence supplier is due to selected in the third quarter.
Source: Flight International
