Smiths Aerospace awarded electrical power contract on Hercules modernization programme

SMITHS Aerospace, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announces it has been awarded an electrical power contract from The Company Boeing for the C-130 Hercules Avionics Modernization Programme (AMP) aircraft.

The Hercules is a tactical transport aircraft capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is used for air dropping troops and equipment into difficult areas.

The purpose of the modernization programme is to lower the cost of ownership of the US militarys Hercules fleet, while complying with safety, navigation and global air traffic management requirements.

Smiths Aerospace has been awarded a contract to supply Regulated Transformer Rectifier Units (R/TRU) for the Hercules AMP aircraft. The contract is valued at $3 million for engineering units with additional potential sales of $34 million over the life of the programme.

Dr John Ferrie, President of Smiths Aerospace, said: As part of our dedicated Electrical Power business, this technology provides a unique solution for our customer in load sharing, while providing additional power sources.

Combined with our avionics systems, this brings our content on the C-130 AMP to more than $300 million over the life of the program.

The units will be manufactured by the Smiths Aerospace facility in New York with deliveries beginning in 2008 and continuing beyond 2016.

Smiths is providing the following systems for the C-130 AMP valued at more than $300 million over the life of the program:

R/TRU electrical power Multi-function control displays
Mission display processor Integrated standby instrument system
Flight management system including communications management unit and terrain awareness warning system ( integrated onto a single PowerPC) Flight data recorder/cockpit voice recorder
Aircraft interface unit
Mission display processor including digital map
Digital Generator Control Units Bus Switch Units

Smiths Aerospaces power conversion products and custom power supplies are used in many aircraft platforms including military air transport, bombers, fighters, helicopters, space vehicles, commercial airliners and missiles.

ENDS