* Boeing is to remanufacture 12 CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters to the MH-47Gconfiguration under a US Army contract worth $195 million. The modifications will be completed by July 2006.
* Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration is to place an $85 million contract to extend operations of the Swedish air force's Lockheed Martin C-130 transports until 2030. The majority of the work - which is based on the US Air Force's C-130 avionics modernisation programme - will be undertaken by Boeing from 2007-9.
* The Indian air force has placed a $150 million contract with Israeli companies Elta Systems and El-Op to supply an undisclosed number of pod-housed EL/M-2060P synthetic-aperture radar and long-range oblique photography systems. The systems will equip air force fighters.
* The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems Avionics and FR Aviation 27-month follow-on contracts to support the continued development and flight test of solid-state towed decoys.
* nLockheed Martin has received an $11 million contract under a US Navy-brokered deal to perform depot level maintenance on two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft for the Pakistan navy by April 2006. The bulk of the work will be conducted at the navy's Mehran facility, Karachi.
* Westland Helicopters of the UK has received a three-year contract to supply engineering and management training services in support of the UK armed forces' fleets of Merlin, Puma and Sea King utility helicopters.
* Raytheon is to deliver seven multi-spectral targeting system turrets to the US Navy under a $12.7 million deal to equip the service's General Atomics Predator unmanned air vehicles.
* Bell/Agusta Aerospace has received an approximately €49 million ($63.7 million) contract to supply the Irish defence ministry with four AB139 utility and VIP helicopters. Dublin is also close to concluding a deal with Eurocopter for the delivery of two EC135 trainers.
Source: Flight International
