Hughes wins AIM-9X competition with Evolved Sidewinder.TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 1996--The Naval Air Systems Command The Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, is the part of the United States Navy which provides materiel support for naval aircraft and airborne weapon systems, such as guided missiles. NAVAIR was established in 1966 as the successor to the Navy's Bureau of Naval Weapons (BuWeps). Friday awarded Hughes Missile Systems Co. a $169 million winner-take-all contract for engineering and manufacturing development of the AIM-9X, the next-generation replacement for the existing AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile. NAVAIR NAVAIR Naval Air Systems Command selected the Hughes Evolved Sidewinder offering, derived from an AIM-9X demonstration/validation contract the company received in 1994. Hughes also submitted an AIM-9X proposal for ASRAAM ASRAAM Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile P3I, which provided modifications to the United Kingdom's ASRAAM to meet U.S. requirements. AIM-9X is a joint Navy and Air Force program with the Navy serving as the executive service. The program is worth an estimated $5 billion in potential sales over the next 20 years. U.S. production would include up to 10,000 missiles, and a significant potential exists for international sales to allied nations. ``This win is significant for HMSC as it establishes us as the market leader of air-to-air missiles for the next two decades,'' said HMSC President Louise Francesconi. ``It also demonstrates our customer's confidence in our ability to produce a high-quality, reliable and cost-effective weapon system to meet evolving threats.'' Evolved Sidewinder is an improved version of the Sidewinder that incorporates thrust vector control. It is configured with Hughes' mature, high-performance production focal plane array sensor, a Texas Instruments advanced tracker and the existing AIM-9M rocket motor, warhead and fuze fuze n. & v. Variant of fuse1. Noun 1. fuze - any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant fuse, primer, priming, fuzee, fusee . The sensor was originally developed for the U.K. ASRAAM. Texas Instruments, Matra BAe Dynamics Matra BAe Dynamics was formed in August 1996 by merger of half the missile business of Matra Defense of France and BAe Dynamics (a division of British Aerospace) of the UK and was Europe's largest manufacturer of missiles and UAVs. (UK), HR Textron and Alliant Techsystems are key teammates in the Hughes AIM-9X Evolved Sidewinder program. ``Our winning bid provides the low-cost, low-risk solution for AIM-9X, and offers the opportunity for early IOC (initial operational capability The first attainment of the capability to employ effectively a weapon, item of equipment, or system of approved specific characteristics that is manned or operated by an adequately trained, equipped, and supported military unit or force. Also called IOC. ) to the U.S. warfighter,'' said Ron Morgan, HMSC director for the short-range air-to-air product line. HMSC, the world's leading producer of tactical missiles, is a unit of Hughes Aircraft Co., which is a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. The earnings of Hughes Electronics are used to calculate the earnings per share attributable to GMH (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange symbol) common stock. CONTACT: Hughes Missile Systems Co., Tucson Colleen Niccum, 520/794-8565 |
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