Racal Wins Helicopter Upgrade Contacts

Racal Avionics was awarded contracts to upgrade the avionics on-board the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MoD) Lynx and Chinook helicopters, the company announced recently.

The contracts are worth some $95 million for the communications and navigation requirements with a potential additional value of some $64 million over the next five years if options are exercised.

For the Royal Navy, Racal will provide the Lynx HMA Mk8 helicopter fleet with the next generation of Saturn V/UHF radio systems. The contract include installation, flight trials, military aircraft release and in-service support. Saturn radios use frequency hopping and encryption techniques and are compliant with international Air Traffic Control regulations.

The system configuration will include dual V/UHF radios and dual AMS 2000 control display navigation units, integrated with the new fiber-optic secure RA800L communications control system and the existing Racal central tactical system.

Under the second program, Racal will update the Royal Air Force's HC Mk2/2A Chinook helicopter fleet with the company's AMS 2000 navigation units with embedded GPS. Racal says that GKN Westland and Boeing will provide "significant" specialist support.

Edited by David Robb