The Italian software and IT services company Datamat was awarded a €22 million ($26million) contract by the NATO NETMA agency for the supply to the Italian Air Force of mission planning systems, including a system for the Storm Shadow stand-off missile due to be integrated in Italian Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft. Datamat will develop the standardised planning systems for the new weapon systems and platform, as well as the technological and operational upgrade packages for the old ones still in service with the Italian air force. It also will develop the target analysis and modelling systems for the new-generation smart weapons expected to enter service with the air force.
Three Dutch companies have added around $58 million to the country's workshare in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme, bringing the value of the Netherlands' JSF business to more than $150 million. In a deal worth $55 million, Stork Fokker has signed a letter of agreement with F-35 principal partner Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems to design, develop and produce flight-moveable doors for all versions of the F-35 during the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the programme, which continues until 2012. Another Dutch firm, ATS Kleizen, won a $3.6 million contract from Lockheed Martin to manufacture tooling for the F-35's composite control surfaces and fixed edges (leading- and trailing-edge wing and empennage components). The company will produce high-precision honeycomb-core bonding tools, honeycomb-core milling fixtures, hexply bonding fixtures, waterjet fixtures and vacuum-assisted precision milling trim fixtures. Finally, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems is to signa contract with Netherlands-based Thales NL for the development of high-reliability cryogenic coolers which will help maintain optimum temperatures for critical on-board electro-optical systems for the F-35.
Source: Flight International
