GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 25, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Smiths Aerospace (LSE:SMIN) welcomes the integrated engineering team from AYDIN YAZILIM VE ELEKTRONIK SAN A.S. (AYESAS) for Turkey's first F-35 development program. AYESAS is co-locating an engineering team for two years at the Smiths facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. for the missile remote interface unit (MRIU) development. The MRIU is part of the F-35 weapons control system supplied by Smiths. The MRIU is worth more than $100 million, with Smiths total content on the F-35 in excess of $10 billion over the life of the aircraft.
Smiths Aerospace announced the agreement with AYDIN YAZILIM VE ELEKTRONIK SAN A.S. (AYESAS) to develop mechanical and circuit card subassembly portions of the Missile Remote Interface Unit (MRIU) for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in October 2003. This agreement is the first development program for Turkish industry following their decision to become an F-35 System Development and Demonstration phase partner. This program is initially valued at $6 million for AYESAS, including delivery of MRIU subassemblies for qualification and flight test. The first development hardware will be delivered in June 2006. Low rate production begins in 2009 at the AYESAS facility in Ankara, Turkey with deliveries expected through 2026. The development and manufacturing phases of the MRIU will be carried out between Turkey and the U.S. More than 5,100 MRIUs are projected for the F-35 market of 2,593 aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Up to an additional 3,000 aircraft are expected to be sold for export.
About the MRIU: The Missile Remote Interface Unit manages weapons unique interfaces converting them to the MIL-STD-1760 standard weapon interface. The MRIU must power up nearly instantaneously, be lightweight, and operate safely in severe electrical, thermal and vibration environments associated with its location in the weapon bay and on the wings.
Smiths systems on the F-35 are valued at more than $10 billion over the aircraft lifetime and include:
-- standby flight display system, electrical power management
system, remote input / output data concentrator unit
(Cheltenham, UK)
-- weapons control and data management (Michigan, Maryland
and Florida, USA)
-- engine and debris monitoring system and airframe strain
and stress models (Southampton, UK)
-- LiftFan(tm) hose and tube system (New Hampshire and
Massachusetts, USA)
-- integrated canopy frame assembly (Southampton, UK)
-- actuation systems and components included in the propulsion
system and airframe (New Jersey, Indiana, Washington, USA
and Wolverhampton, UK)
About AYESAS
AYESAS, established in 1990, enjoys an excellent reputation in Turkish defence industry with a history that began with the C3 system for the country's national air defence system, the Turkish Mobile Radar Complexes. From this technology base, AYESAS has gained significant experience and built unique capabilities in the areas of C3 and avionic systems, electronic and electromechanical manufacturing, avionics software development and IV&V IAW RTCA DO-178B and systems integration. As the leading private company of its sector, AYESAS operates in four facilities, located in Ankara, comprising over 8,500 square meters and employs more than 220 personnel.
About Smiths
Smiths Aerospace, a part of Smiths Group plc, is the leading transatlantic aerospace systems and equipment company, with more than 10,000 staff and $2 billion revenues split between Europe and North America. The company holds key positions in the supply chains of all major military and civil aircraft and engine manufacturers and are world-leaders in digital, electrical and mechanical systems, precision components and customer services.