First EGI-modified A-10 delivered to USAFE

First EGI-modified A-10 delivered to USAFE

17 April 2000

The first A/OA-10 aircraft modified with the Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (EGI), designed to enhance the aircraft's situational awareness capability has been delivered to the United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE) by Lockheed Martin Federal Systems.



A-10
This is the first of 21 A/OA-10 aircraft based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany to receive the EGI upgrade under a $3.8 million delivery order. The A/OA-10 Prime base contract, awarded to Lockheed Martin in December 1997, has a potential value of $488 million over nine years.

The most important capability of the upgrade is the addition of the EGI unit and a new Control Display Unit (CDU) to the A/OA-10. The EGI is a self-contained, one-box system that combines data derived from Global Positioning System satellites and onboard inertial navigation data to pinpoint to the pilot the exact location of the A/OA-10 aircraft.

Societe Anonyne Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques, or SABCA, a Belgium-based company on subcontract to Lockheed Martin, carried out the installation at its facility in Charleroi, Belgium. The remaining 20 aircraft will receive the EGI upgrade within the next three years, with the next aircraft scheduled to arrive at SABCA by mid-April.


REF XQQAS XQQEE XQQAR