Boeing

The Boeing Company has been awarded a contract to develop an upgrade to the defensive systems for the U.S. Air Force B-52H bomber fleet.

Work on the engineering and manufacturing development contract for the B-52 Situational Awareness Defensive Improvement (SADI), valued at approximately $48 million, will extend through the completion of developmental and operational flight testing in 2003.

Through the SADI program, Boeing will replace the aging ALR-20A Electronic Countermeasures Receiver System and the ALR-46 Radar Warning Receiver on the B-52 Stratofortress. These upgrades are expected to offer up to a thirty-fold improvement in system reliability.

"SADI is an important step in the overall roadmap in maintaining the effectiveness of the B-52 fleet over an extraordinary service life," said Ben Park, general manager of the Wichita Maintenance and Modification Center, part of the Boeing Military Aerospace Support business. "It is a great example of the comprehensive support we, in partnership with the Air Force, provide to this important weapon system."

Boeing also is performing an upgrade to avionics processors on the Stratofortress as part of the Avionics Midlife Improvement program, as well as providing wide-ranging fleet support and other programs for the B-52.

By focusing its modernization and upgrades capabilities; maintenance and modification centers; training services; logistics personnel services; and sustainment data and supply chain management support competencies in the Military Aerospace Support business, Boeing is the only major airframe manufacturer with an integrated organization structured to provide total life-cycle customer support for military aircraft and weapons systems.

00-98