LORAL AWARDED $28.6 MILLION CONTRACT TO PRODUCE B-52 NAVIGATION FORWARD LOOKING INFRARED SYSTEM.SYOSSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 1995--Loral Fairchild Systems, a division of Loral Corporation Loral Corporation was a small Bronx defense contractor on the verge of bankruptcy when in 1972 it was acquired by Bernard Schwartz, who over the course of the next two decades built it into a major player in the global aerospace and defense industry, acquiring sixteen other defense (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :LOR LOR Letter Of Reprimand (military) LoR Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien) LOR Learning Object Repository LOR Linux.Org. ), has been awarded a $28.6 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce advanced navigation forward looking infrared
A forward looking infrared (FLIR) is the North American English term for a camera that takes pictures using the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. systems for B-52 aircraft. Under the 30-month contract from Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia, Loral will manufacture 97 flight systems, spare assemblies and logistics data items for the AN/AAQ-23, which is a third generation, staring mid-wave infrared sensor based on a platinum silicide charged-couple device. The dual field of view optics provide selectable navigation and recognition modes. The AN/AAQ-23 is designed to be easily installed in the existing AN/AAQ-6 gimbal to provide the pilot and navigator with a full frontal field of view during navigation and weapons delivery. This production contract follows a 1992 contract to Loral under which the company produced systems for flight tests. In September 1994, two AN/AAQ-23 navigation FLIRs were installed and flight tested in B-52 aircraft by the 49th Test Squadron, Minot AFB AFB abbr. acid-fast bacillus AFB Acid-fast bacillus, also 1. Aflatoxin B 2. Aorto-femoral bypass , North Dakota. Within a week of checkout, one of the aircraft participated in a round-the- world simulated mission in which the FLIR FLIR Forward-Looking Infrared (Radar) FLIR Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer FLIR Forward Looking Infrared Radar FLIR Forward Looking Infra Red assisted in critical refueling operations. In October 1994, another aircraft equipped with AN/AAQ-23 belonging to the 5th Bomb Wing in Minot AFB was sent on a mission at the Kuwait-Iraq border. The navigation system was used because of excellent FLIR image quality and its effectiveness during sand storms. The B-52 performance, both at Minot and Barksdale AFB Louisiana, has been an unqualified success with zero system failures. Loral Fairchild Systems produces airborne reconnaissance systems, infrared sensors for surveillance and missile seekers, aircraft cockpit and space cameras, electronic combat equipment, and training and simulation systems. Loral Corporation, headquartered in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , us a high-technology company that primarily concentrates in defense electronics, communications, space and systems integration. CONTACT: Lisa Koppel (703) 416-5542 Joseph Tedino (703) 416-5540 |
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