BAE Systems, JOHNSON CITY, N.Y: The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves have selected BAE Systems to upgrade the A-10A Thunderbolt II for increased situational awareness and targeting control. During 2008, BAE Systems will modify more than 100 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve A-10A aircraft stationed around the country.
The upgrade will improve pilot awareness of the position of friendly ground forces. It also will reduce pilot workload by automatically transferring target coordinates within the aircraft's internal systems and to other aircraft on the network.
“This system will allow the pilot to perform more hands-free tasks that would otherwise require diversion of attention from the primary flight controls of the aircraft,” said Andrew Gecelosky, a senior analyst at the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Virginia. “That's a significant benefit for an aircraft with a close air support mission like the A-10A.”
BAE Systems is developing the aircraft modification in its Johnson City, New York, facility. In its on-site integration laboratory, the company will integrate a multifunction color cockpit display with the targeting pod prior to installation and flight testing to maximize cost and schedule performance.
“By working directly with our military customer, we are able to deliver enhanced functionality while staying price-competitive,” said Clark Freise, vice president of defense avionics for BAE Systems. “Because of our experience, we can most efficiently provide this capability to the A-10A aircraft and help keep our customer's fleet ready, relevant, and affordable.”
BAE Systems' A-10 experience dates from the 1970s with the development of the aircraft's stability augmentation system. The company developed the first production integrated fire and flight control in the 1980s, keeping the aircraft relevant with highly accurate weapon delivery and safety mechanisms. The current A-10A configuration is the result of multiple upgrades to the original weapon system.
BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. BAE Systems, with 96,000 employees worldwide, had 2006 sales that exceeded $27 billion on a pro forma basis, assuming BAE Systems had owned Armor Holdings, Inc. for the whole of 2006.
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