Raytheon заключил контракт с МО Великобритании на создание системы AST

ASTOR - радарная система воздушного базирования. Предназначена для круглосуточного и всепогодного получения и анализа визуальной информации о наземной обстановке на большой площади. Полученная информация передается на наземные станции. Ориентировочная стоимость контракта - $1.3 млрд.
http://defence-data.com/storypic/astorair.jpg [not image]

Raytheon signs UK ASTOR contract

20 December 1999

Raytheon Systems Limited, the UK subsidiary of Raytheon Company has signed a contract for the UK Ministry of Defence's Airborne Stand Off Radar (ASTOR) program. The contract signing follows nearly six months of detailed negotiations since the announcement in June that Raytheon had been selected as the preferred bidder for this њ800 million (US $1.3 billion) program.



ASTOR
ASTOR is a radar surveillance system that provides day/night and all-weather imagery of the ground over a large area. The imagery can be analysed on board the aircraft and passed in near real-time to ground stations and other military systems.

Sir Robert Walmsley, chief of Defence Procurement, said, "The right information delivered to the right place at the right time is crucial to the success of any military task. ASTOR will hugely improve our ability to know the situation on the ground.''

Peter McKee, managing director of Raytheon Systems Limited, said, "Raytheon has worked hard to provide the best possible solution for the MoD's requirement. This major defence procurement demonstrates all the elements of the government's Smart Procurement methodology.

"In order to produce the best technological and best value approach, we have drawn not only on Raytheon's own high technology capabilities from the UK and U.S. but also brought in other key UK companies as part of our team. This contract will bring great benefits to UK industry as a result of the transfer of radar, communications and systems integration technologies from the U.S.''

Approximately 2,500 jobs will be created or sustained in the UK under the Raytheon ASTOR program, with a potential for an additional 4,000 jobs created or sustained as a result of potential export opportunities. Approximately 100 companies throughout the UK, and particularly in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, will participate in the program.

Following its ASTOR selection, Raytheon immediately started to market the system world-wide in order to bring maximum benefits to UK industry and the UK taxpayer. Some key potential overseas markets have already been identified and the system was demonstrated recently at a major exhibition in Dubai.

Defence systems daily