General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Awarded Iraqi Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Contract

$53 Million Order Received For Manned ISR Aircraft and Ground Stations

(San Diego, June 11, 2007) -- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, today announced that it has received notification of an award of a $53 million ceiling price order from Raytheon Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kan., to provide an initial lot of five integrated Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) suites for the company's Beechcraft King Air 350ER (Extended Range) aircraft and related ground stations to be supplied to the Iraqi Air Force under the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.


Under the terms of the contract, the GA-ASI team - which consists of L-3 Communications West, L-3 EO/IR Inc., and Exclusive Charter Services - will provide airborne payloads and operator workstations (which run CLAW(r) sensor control and analysis software), as well as fixed, mobile and man-transportable data linked ground stations, support equipment, and training and logistics support.

"This program for Iraq represents a total end-to-end airborne ISR solution," said Linden P. Blue, president, Reconnaissance Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. "It integrates the airborne payload package with an operator console station that collects, formats, and displays sensor data for optimum exploitation. Imagery and exploitation products can then be sent via an airborne data link to ground stations for further analysis. This equipment will increase current Iraqi Air Force airborne reconnaissance and intelligence collection capabilities significantly."

Source : General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.