By Tamarind Phinisee San Antonio Business Journal
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is seeking additional contract work on the U.S. Air Forces KC-10 Extender tanker/transport aircraft program. Forrest Gossett a spokesman for Boeing in St. Louis says this new contract would be above and beyond" the companys current KC-10 contractor logistics support contract.
To that end the company has submitted a contract proposal to the Air Force to upgrade the cockpits of the services fleet of 59
KC-10 Extender tanker/transport aircraft.
Boeing already provides contractor logistics support for the KC-10 which includes depot-level maintenance and modifications supply-chain management and other critical support tasks at Port San Antonio.
The new proposal covers engineering and manufacturing development production and installation of the KC-10 Communications Navigation Surveillance and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) modification.
The CNS/ATM modification uses a systems approach to improve pilot awareness
streamline tasks and otherwise enhance safety in a high-technology environment.
Boeing KC-10 Program Director Mike Wright says Boeing believes it has a strong proposal given the success of its DC-10 cockpit upgrade program (CUP) for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The U.S. Air Forces KC-10 is the military aircraft tanker version of the DC-10.
The CUP modification offers an affordable proven solution for other aircraft including the KC-10" Wright says.
Boeing is working with the Royal Netherlands Air Force and partner Fokker Services on that countrys cockpit upgrade program which includes a new flight-management system display system and improved communications. These are all components of the CNS/ATM configuration.
Boeing and Fokker Services are performing the modification on two K/DC-10 air refueling tankers and one DC-10 transport at a Fokker Services facility in the Netherlands where the programs ground testing certification is two-thirds complete.
Flight-test certification and delivery of the first aircraft in the Netherlands are scheduled to take place this fall.
Boeing is one of the worlds largest space and defense businesses and is a manufacturer of military aircraft. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70000 employees worldwide.
