Boeing

The Boeing Company announced today at the International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, Poland, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Instytut Lotnictwa (Institute of Aviation) in Warsaw, Poland, and the F/A-18 Hornet Industry Team (HIT) for potential collaboration on more than 20 advanced technologies.

The F/A-18 Hornet Industry Team consists of F/A-18 lead contractor Boeing, principal subcontractor Northrop Grumman, engine supplier General Electric and radar provider Hughes. The MOU includes collaborative activities in advanced research and product development, as well as direct technology transfer from F/A-18 HIT companies.

"The Institute must continue to strengthen its research and development capabilities worldwide," said Dr. Witold Wisniowski, director of the Institute of Aviation. "We are excited about the opportunities arising from our continuing relationship with The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman, Hughes and General Electric, and we look forward to the future joint development activities described in our agreement."

This MOU is a continuation of the F/A-18 HIT members' commitment to Poland's aviation industry.

The Institute of Aviation and F/A-18 HIT companies will address technologies such as materials testing, composite and material technologies, wind tunnel testing, analysis software and related subjects. The F/A-18 HIT members will also help introduce the Institute of Aviation to their subcontractor companies to identify additional opportunities for business ventures, direct procurements and technology collaboration projects.

"This agreement is an important step in what we believe will be a very extensive and beneficial partnership with the Institute," said Mark Franzblau, Boeing program manager for the F/A-18 in Poland. "The Institute is one of the finest research and development organizations in the region, and speaking on behalf of the HIT team, we're proud to be part of their future in aviation."

As part of its demonstrated commitment to forming a strategic technological and industrial partnership with the Polish aviation industry, McDonnell Douglas, which has since merged with Boeing, announced in June the signing of two contracts with the Institute of Aviation for testing advanced metal alloys for potential use in future aerospace products. These agreements marked the initial phase of the anticipated long-term research and development collaboration between the Institute and Boeing.

In addition, HIT member Northrop Grumman is negotiating a joint wind tunnel testing and data analysis project with the Institute of Aviation. This collaborative project is aimed at optimizing performance of an unmanned air vehicle currently in development at Northrop Grumman.

The Boeing Company also is addressing Polish technology needs at the academic level. Boeing recently announced it would sponsor Polish researchers who will study under the auspices of the International Institute of Theoretical and Applied Physics (IITAP) at Iowa State University.

Under the IITAP's Eastern European Technology Access Program, scholars from leading Polish research institutes will be selected on a competitive basis to visit the United States for up to three months. During their visit, they will be guests of a research group at Iowa State or at other leading universities, as well as guests of scientists and technical specialists at Boeing.

This fall, Boeing also will sponsor Polish graduate students who are pursuing studies in scientific and technical areas at American colleges or universities.

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