ISRAEL AIRCRAFT Industries subsidiary Elta is to supply the electronic-support-measures (ESM) systems for the Royal Air Force's new replacement maritime-patrol aircraft (RMPA).
The deal to fit an upgraded version of the EL/L-8300 system in the British Aerospace Nimrod 2000 will be a consolation to Elta. It had found its radar replaced by the UK Ministry of Defence when it favoured the Nimrod upgrade against versions of the Orion offered by two separate parts of Lockheed Martin (Flight International, 31 July-6 August). Elta's highly regarded EL/2020 radar had been selected by all three bidders, but was thrown out at the eleventh hour, on political grounds, in favour of the Racal Searchwater.
BAe and its mission-systems contractor, Boeing, have also been ordered to find around £200 million ($310 million) of business for Orion 2000 subcontractor GEC-Marconi for similar reasons.
The EL/L-8300 system, already selected for the upgrade programme of the Royal Australian Air Force's P-3s, will be supplied to mission-systems contractor Boeing in a deal valued at $70 million.
Source: Flight International
