Bell Boeing is to manufacture eight MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft for the US Marine Corps and three CV-22s for the US Air Force under a $849 million Lot 9 low-rate initial production contract. Raytheon is to develop the Humvee-mounted surface-launched advanced medium-range air-to-air missile mobile air-defence system for the US Army and US Marine Corps under a $127 million contract. Northrop Grumman is to equip 21 German air force Transall C-160 transport aircraft with AAR-54 (V) passive missile approach warning systems for $6.2 million. AAI will supply 11 additional RQ-7A Shadow tactical unmanned air vehicle systems to the US Army under contracts totalling $97 million. Northrop Grumman is to produce two development RQ-8B Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicles under a $49 million US Navy contract. Goodrich is to supply nacelles for the General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engines that will power 44 Kawasaki C-X twin-engine transports planned for the Japan Defence Agency. DRS Technologies is to develop an altitude hold and hover stabilisation system for US Air Force special-operations Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low helicopters and upgraded thermal-imaging systems for the US Army's Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warriors under contracts worth $12.7 million. The company will also produce more than 40 APN-243 station-keeping systems for US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transports for $9.4 million.
Source: Flight International
