Defense Technology International - January/February 2008 - (Page 10) AROUND THE WORLD NEWS BRIEFS THALES WINS SAAB IFF Saab has awarded Thales a contract to supply new identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) combined interrogator-transponders (CIT) for JAS 39 Gripen combat aircraft. The equipment ordered is part of the TSB 2520 family. The contract covers 143 aircraft. Of these, 68 Swedish air force Gripens will be equipped with NATO Mode 4 CITs that incorporate the latest version of the IFF standard. Another 75 Gripens in service with Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic will have existing CITs upgraded to Mode 4 and Mode S capability to ensure compliance with the standard. Once equipped, the aircraft will transition to the new NATO Mode 5 secure IFF capability. I GRIPEN INTERNATIONAL GA-ASI RAF ADDS 10 REAPERS The Royal Air Force is buying 10 more MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., adding to the three aircraft ordered in late 2006. The first of the initial batch became operational in Afghanistan last October, and the RAF expects to have all three aircraft, 10 crews and a ground-control system in use by April. Total value of the new contract—including nine APY-8 Lynx radars and nine DAS-1 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems and spares—is $1.07 billion. The RAF has not yet armed the UAVs operationally but one officer with 39 Squadron, the Reaper unit, describes the MQ-9A as “a mini A-10.” The aircraft can carry GBU-38 GPS-guided bombs and laser/GPS EGBU-12s. The fact that 10 aircraft are on order, but only nine sets of sensors, suggests that one aircraft may be used for tests or special missions: RAF sources say the service is still looking at the Goodrich DB110 long-range reconnaissance pod for the Reaper (it has been demonstrated on a Predator B under the Falcon Prowl project), as well as electronic-attack payloads. I MRAP DEAL IS A BOON TO PLASAN Israeli ballistic armor specialist Plasan continues to benefit from U.S. spending on Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The company recently won a contract worth more than $200 million for protection kits to equip 1,500 MRAPs supplied by International Military and Government LLC to the Marine Corps. A contract for 1,200 vehicles was awarded last June. The latest Plasan armor-equipped vehicles will be delivered by the end of July. CEO Dani Ziv says Plasan has acquired manufacturing companies in France (where the company also sells armor products) and the U.S. in addition to those it has in Israel. The MRAPs will be armored for a broad range of missions like convoy travel, troop transport, removal of IEDs and close-quarters battle. I PLASAN 10 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 www.aviationweek.com/dti http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
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