Boeing Co., ST. LOUIS: Boeing is one of two companies selected by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence as a preferred bidder to compete in a technology demonstration program as part of Project Eagle, a major upgrade to the U.K.'s AWACS fleet.
Although still to be negotiated, the one-year contract is expected to be valued at approximately $8 million. Under the contract, scheduled to start in April, Boeing will demonstrate through a series of test scenarios that its system meets the requirements of the U.K. customer. The demonstration will be conducted in a lab environment in Kent, Wash. with operator consoles using an early version of the proposed software.
“The Boeing proposal offers a low- risk, high- performance solution for the United Kingdom and will keep its fleet interoperable with the NATO and U.S. AWACS fleets.” said Doug Ilgenfritz, Boeing United Kingdom and French AWACS program manager.
“These enhancements also will lower the fleet's life-cycle costs. A Boeing selection will also mean a significant employment opportunity for U.K. industry to produce and install this major system upgrade.”
Boeing brings extensive integration experience to this competition as prime contractor for the NATO AWACS Mid-Term modernization and U.S. AWACS Block 40/45 programs.
Boeing's technology demonstrator is based on the Block 40/45 upgrade. This provides new mission hardware and software to integrate information from on-board and off-board sources and provides the airborne operators with improved situational awareness and automated battle management tools. These upgrades dramatically enhance the capability of the global AWACS fleet, making it a prime catalyst for network-enabled capability and an extraordinary force multiplier across the entire operational theater.
The winner of the competition will be selected in late 2007, with production work beginning in early 2008.
Boeing delivered the first AWACS for the United Kingdom in March of 1991 and delivered the seventh aircraft in May 1992. Recent upgrades include installation of radar system improvement program kits, a Global Positioning System and enhanced identification friend or foe and collision avoidance systems.
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 $30.5 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 and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense and Department of Homeland Security; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.
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