DRS Technologies, PARSIPPANY: DRS Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has delivered its first production Remote Aerial Refueling Operators Station (RARO) II console to Boeing to support new military airlift and refueling aircraft requirements.
The console will be used on the Boeing KC-767 Global Tanker aircraft. Work was performed by the company's DRS Laurel Technologies unit in Johnstown, Pennsylvania for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Additional systems are expected to be delivered later this year and in 2007.
“The RARO II console is the centerpiece of the newest and most advanced aerial refueling delivery system flying today,” said Patrick Marion, vice president and general manager of DRS Laurel Technologies. “We worked very closely with the Boeing team to meet a very aggressive schedule on this program. This unit and others currently in production could evolve into long-term opportunities to address the critical refueling requirements of today's military aircraft.”
Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, added, “I was pleased to be able to link DRS with Boeing to explore the potential for collaboration on the RARO program. My hat is off to both companies and their employees for their hard work in putting the bids together, capturing this significant contract and in running efficient production facilities.”
The RARO console is positioned aft of the cockpit in the modern wide-body KC-767 aircraft. It allows the refueling operator to position the boom for fuel transfer operations and to maintain continual visual contact with all aircraft in the area under any weather conditions.
The Boeing KC-767 Tanker is designed for both refueling and freight and passenger transport. It extends the Boeing air refueling aircraft legacy with the latest refueling delivery technologies and wide-body capacity for multi-role mission versatility. The RARO console's remote location provides the most advanced vision technology and human factors engineering for operators of the refueling mission.
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 and Department of Homeland Security; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide. The company employs approximately 10,000 people.
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