SubscribeDRS Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: DRS) announced today that it has received $153 million in new contracts to support the infrared sighting systems on the U.S. Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters.
For the awards, DRS will provide depot repair, spares and field service support services and also will manufacture the new Thermal Imaging Systems for the Mast Mounted Sight (MMS) on these helicopters. The Thermal Imaging Systems Upgrade (TISU) enhances the target detection and range performance of the helicopters. It is designed as a drop-in replacement for the existing thermal imaging systems and can be installed at forward maintenance activities sites.
The contracts were awarded to DRS by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The orders are part of a five-year $514 million U.S. Army indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract secured by DRS in December 2003. Work for these orders will be performed by the company’s DRS Optronics unit in Melbourne, Florida. The MMS TISU product deliveries are expected to be completed by mid-2006 and will be placed immediately into operation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"As a premier supplier of infrared sighting, targeting and night vision systems for the U.S. Army, we are committed to providing the latest enhancements for the Kiowa Warrior helicopter to extend its operational capability in the battle space," said Fred L. Marion, president of DRS’s Surveillance & Reconnaissance Group. "Building on many years of our support for this reliable, front-line Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) platform, these awards reflect our strong commitment to the Kiowa Warrior helicopter, which is evident in its consistent operational readiness for the battlefield."
Installed above the rotors of the platform, the MMS incorporates sighting system technologies that are crucial to the missions and survivability of U.S. ground forces, providing improved target acquisition performance, greater stand-off ranges and reconnaissance capabilities. Designed to enhance helicopter survivability, the MMS is considered a pivotal asset in forward battle areas and reconnaissance missions, and continues to have an integral role in the success of Army aviation units engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The MMS TISU is an integrated, multi-sensor electro-optical sighting system that uses visible light and advanced infrared technology to gather imagery and target acquisition data during the day or night under harsh battlefield conditions. It contains a suite of sensors, including a high-resolution television camera for long-range target detection; an upgraded thermal imaging sensor for navigation, target acquisition and designation; a laser range finder/designator for target location and guidance of Hellfire missiles and designation for precision munitions; and a boresight assembly that provides in-flight sensor alignment. The MMS enables the gunship to remain concealed during all but a few seconds of an engagement, making it significantly more survivable in combat operations than reconnaissance gunships with nose-mounted sensors.
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, provides leading edge products and services to defense, government intelligence and commercial customers. Focused on defense technology, DRS develops and manufactures a broad range of mission critical systems. The company employs 5,800 people worldwide.
