Sunday, July 18, 2010

DTN News: Sikorsky Sees Big Orders Over Next 12-18 Months

DTN News: Sikorsky Sees Big Orders Over Next 12-18 Months
Source: DTN News / Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England, - July 18, 2010: Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), expects a significant first order this week from a Middle Eastern country for the international version of its Black Hawk helicopter. Sikorsky President Jeff Pino declined to name the Middle Eastern customer ahead of a news conference this week at the Farnborough air show, but said the same country was also buying the company's S-76D medium-twin helicopter. While there was less "aggressiveness" in international military orders at the moment and a malaise in the commercial market, Pino said Sikorsky was still preparing bids for many foreign competitions. "There's a lot going on," Pino told Reuters in an interview ahead of the air show, saying the company was looking forward to big orders in the next 12 to 18 months. He said orders could come from the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Sikorsky is due to deliver the first S-92 maritime helicopter to Canada by November, a helicopter that was delayed by several years but which is starting to attract international interest as well, Pino said. Pino said Sikorsky was winning about 60 to 70 percent of the competitions it qualified for and was well-positioned with its Black Hawk and Sea Hawk models in particular. President Barack Obama in January told Congress about a package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at up to $6.4 billion, including 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, and Sikorsky also won a Swedish competition for 15 helicopters. VERY VALID Closer to home, Sikorsky plans to compete in three separate U.S. military competitions -- a new presidential helicopter program valued at under $7 billion, an Air Force rescue helicopter program that could generate up to $3 billion in orders and an armed helicopter for the U.S. Army that could generate up to $8 billion in orders. Sikorsky has teamed with Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) to bid for the presidential helicopter and Air Force programs, a teaming arrangement that Pino said felt very "natural," given long years of the long collaboration on the H-60 helicopters. Pino acknowledged pressure on the Pentagon to rein in defense spending and said there was some concern that the new start programs could be delayed to save money. But he said all three helicopter programs looked like very valid requirements, given the age of the aircraft they will replace, which should ensure the programs stayed on track. "We just want to make sure that the pendulum doesn't go too far," he said. "We want to make sure there's a natural pace." Pino said Sikorksy's CH-53K, a new helicopter built for the Marine Corps, was expected to face a critical design review next week after some initial technical problems, and the first aircraft should be flying in 18 to 24 months. U.S. defense contractors were clearly facing more scrutiny than ever before, but Sikorsky was executing well on most of its programs, he said. "It's clear they want better performance. It's clear they want lower cost and it's clear that that's how they're going to judge and evaluate contractors," he said.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by David Holmes)

DTN News: Raytheon Awarded $55 Million Contract To Deliver TOW Missiles to Saudi Arabia

DTN News: Raytheon Awarded $55 Million Contract To Deliver TOW Missiles to Saudi Arabia
Source: DTN News / Raytheon
(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England,- July 18, 2010: Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN - News) received a $55 million contract to deliver TOW (Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wireless-Guided) 2A Radio Frequency missiles to the U.S. government as part of a foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia's National Guard. "TOW RF missiles are tremendous weapons because of their high mobility, rapid response and close-fire support capabilities," said Jim Riley, Raytheon's vice president of Land Combat. "This missile can give soldiers at the lowest tactical echelon immediate, precision firepower." TOW RF missiles include an RF transmitter added to the missile case and an RF receiver located inside the missile. Since no launcher modifications were required for the transition to wireless, this growth in capability is transparent to TOW customers. "On today's battlefield, potential targets are hiding in caves, behind boulders or in the mountains," said Shawn Ball, Raytheon's TOW international business development manager. "TOW RF missiles are more than capable of taking out these kinds of targets. The RF link enhances operations in urban environments by providing greater reliability and precision performance." TOW missiles are the most used precision heavy assault weapons in war today. Available on more than 10,000 airborne and ground platforms, the missiles are used by 40 countries in combat operations around the world. Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide. Contact: UK: John Patterson +1.520.440.2194 (mobile)
USA: Jaclyn Gutmann 520.545.8428 (office) 781.879.2789 (mobile)

DTN News: Raytheon Awarded Radar Contract For P-8I Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

DTN News: Raytheon Awarded Radar Contract For P-8I Maritime Surveillance Aircraft
Source: DTN News / Raytheon
(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 18, 2010: Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN - News) has received a contract from Boeing to develop an international version of the APY-10 surveillance radar. The long-range, multimission, maritime and overland surveillance radars will be installed on the P-8I aircraft Boeing is building for the Indian Navy. This is the first international contract award for Raytheon's APY-10 program, extending the company's considerable presence in the international maritime surveillance market. "Our APY-10 radar will provide the Indian navy with proven, low-risk technology built on generations of successful Raytheon radar systems," said Tim Carey, vice president for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems. "We're committed to providing reliable systems that keep our customers safe and help them achieve mission success." The APY-10 radar delivers accurate and actionable information in all weather, day and night, for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission support. A member of the industry team that Boeing leads for the U.S. Navy's P-8A program, Raytheon is also under contract with Boeing to provide six APY-10 systems and spares for the P-8A, of which the P-8I is a variant. Four of the six have been delivered, and Raytheon remains on or ahead of the production schedule. Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 75,000 people worldwide. www.raytheon.com Contact: Thais C. Conway +1.972.952.5705

DTN News: Emirates To Place $5 Billion Boeing Order

DTN News: Emirates To Place $5 Billion Boeing Order
Source: DTN News / Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) FARNBOROUGH, England - July 18, 2010: Emirates airline is set to place a $5 billion order for 20 Boeing (BA.N) 777 wide-body jets, aviation sources said on Saturday. The order could be a key feature of the opening day of the July 19-25 Farnborough air show on Monday, when the Dubai-based airline is expecteded to hold a news conference. Boeing declined to comment. An order for 20 of the latest model of 777s, which seats 365 passengers, would be worth $5.4 billion at list prices. Emirates, the largest airline in the Arab world, placed an order for 32 Airbus (EAD.PA) A380s at the Berlin air show last month and said it was likely to order more aircraft soon. (Reporting by Tim Hepher, Editing by Andrea Shalal-Esa)
((+331 4949 5452 paris.equities@reuters.com))