Israel Aircraft Industries Selected for F-5B Avionics Upgrade Program in Spain worth $20 Million
Jul 11, 2000
Ben-Gurion International Airport, Israel - The Spanish Air Force has awarded a contract of 21 Million Euro (about $20 million), to Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd./Lahav Division for the upgrade of the SAF SF-5B. The new state of the art avionics package is based on previous several IAI upgrade programs of F-5 and the USAF T-38 Avionics Upgrade Program (AUP).
The project includes two phases: in the first phase, which was awarded, four prototype aircraft will be upgraded, and in the second phase, the serial upgrade production of 18 additional aircraft in the follow-on option. The first phase of the upgrade program is scheduled to be initiated this month.
The upgrade package includes new avionics system elements such as: Head Up Display, newest generation of Powerful Mission Computer, LCD displays, Electronic Flight Instruments System (EFIS), embedded INS with Global Positioning System and a Training Data Transfer System with Virtual Radar capabilities. It also includes collision avoidance feature to enhance flight safety.
IAI's Lahav Division was awarded the contract after an international competition that started in the last quarter of 1999. Other participating bidders were Boeing, Northrop, Elbit systems and SAGEM.
IAI's Lahav Division will be the prime contractor for the upgrade and will be responsible for the avionics development and integration. The Spanish local industries, CASA and INDRA will be subcontracted for the implementation of the program in Spain. In addition, IAI will also subcontract Boeing for common elements from the USAF T-38 upgrade program.
Menahem Shmul, IAI Corp. VP and General Manager Military Aircraft Group, said that "the award of this program, in the increasingly competitive field of aircraft upgrading, is evidence of IAI's Lahav position as the world leader in combat and training aircraft upgrades. Lahav has received contracts of upgrade hundreds of Western as well as Eastern originated aircraft".
For more information, contact:
Doron Suslik
Deputy Corp VP for Communications
Tel: 972 (3) 93 5-8509
Fax: 972 (3) 935-8512
Email: hpaz@hdq.iai.co.il
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