Boeing Company, ST. LOUIS: Boeing has signed a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement with the U.S. Army to deliver Avenger short-range air defense fire units to Egypt. The $50 million contract includes associated spares and logistics support.
The Avenger is the U.S. Army's mobile, shoot-on-the-move, short-range air defense system. Armed with Stinger missiles and a 50-caliber machine gun, Avenger provides effective tactical defense and convoy protection against helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Avenger is a lethal forward-area air defense system with proven capabilities deployed worldwide,” said Debra Rub-Zenko, vice president and program director for Boeing Integrated Missile Defense. “Through the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Army, Boeing is pleased to once again provide the Egyptian air defenders with increased Avenger force protection for their nation.”
The new contract calls for Boeing to deliver the Avengers by September 2008. Under a previous FMS contract, Boeing delivered Avengers to Egypt from 2000-2004.
The Egyptian order will allow Boeing to restart the Avenger production line, which has been dormant since 2004. Having an active production line ensures Boeing's ability to respond quickly with an affordable short-range air defense solution for both domestic and international customers.
Boeing assembles the Avenger in Huntsville, Ala. Boeing is the largest aerospace company in Alabama. Today, the workforce of nearly 3,300 employees perform leading edge work on an array of key space and defense programs including the Ground-based Midcourse Defense, International Space Station, Delta Launch Vehicles, Avenger, Arrow and PAC-3.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $30.8 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; the world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer; a foremost developer of advanced concepts and technologies; a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.
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