Raytheon has received a $35.1 million US Navy contract to refurbish 330 AIM-9M short-range air-to-air missiles, plus training rounds, for sale to the Czech Republic (80 missiles), Oman (100) and the United Arab Emirates (150). Saab has received a Kr2 billion ($236 million) order from Swedish defence materiel agency, the FMV, to upgrade 14 Gripen fighters to be leased to Hungary. L-3 Communications is to supply flat-panel displays to upgrade Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130s under a $3 million contract from Marshall Aerospace. Five 140mm (5.5in) liquid-crystal displays will replace obsolete attitude direction, horizontal situation and radar indicators. Westland Helicopters has received a £20 million ($33 million) British Army contract to manufacture and support a new eye-safe dual laser unit as part of the Apache AH1 training system. Boeing has selected Hamilton Sundstrand to supply the boost compressor and valves, and perform system integration testing, for a next-generation onboard inerting gas generation system for the C-17. The contract for 139 new and retrofit aircraft, plus a possible 83 further C-17s, is potentially worth over $40 million. Goodrich is to supply GH-3001 electronic standby instrument systems for over 1,200 US Army Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters to be upgraded to UH-60M standard. Science Applications International is to develop integration and communication technologies to combine sensor data into a single integrated air picture under a $43 million US Navy contract. Lockheed Martin is to explore co-production of 21 mobile gap-filler radars in Romania, for which the company is building two prototypes. Co-production between 2004 and 2008 would be worth $40 million. Northrop Grumman has received a $25.5 million US Army contract to supply the APR-39A/B(V)2 system of integrated sensors and countermeasures for the de Havilland RC-7 Airborne Reconnaissance Low platform.
Source: Flight International
