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HUNT VALLEY, Md., Aug. 11, 2004. AAI Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation, has received a contract from the Royal Netherlands Air Force to provide an Advanced Boresight Equipment (ABE) system for alignment of AH-64D Apache helicopters.
The order includes one ABE Model 310 common system with supporting aircraft interface adapters, documentation, and training. The ABE system will be used by Royal Netherlands Air Force technicians for precision alignment of sensor and weapon stations of AH-64D helicopters while in the field or depot.
An advanced attack helicopter in use with the U.S. Army and military forces in several allied nations, the AH-64D has been fielded by the Royal Netherlands Air Force and is produced by The Boeing Company.
AAI's gyro-stabilized, electro-optical ABE Model 310 boresight system technology provides significantly increased accuracy and repeatability, reduced maintenance time, and lower operating costs. The ABE Model 310 is an enhanced version of AAI's fielded ABE Model 300 that has been delivered worldwide.
"The Netherlands is the second allied nation to select our ABE system for its AH-64D rotorcraft field boresight requirements," said Frederick M. Strader, president and chief executive officer of United Industrial Corporation and AAI Corporation. "The Royal Netherlands Air Force will have the benefit of using the same boresight system that Boeing uses in the manufacture and testing of Apache helicopters in its Mesa, Ariz., production facility."
ABE systems have been selected by a number of other international armed forces, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy, for field boresight applications on an array of aircraft. In addition, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force operate ABE systems for a variety of field boresight applications.
Work on the ABE system and components will be performed at AAI Corporation's Hunt Valley, Maryland, Defense Systems facility. Delivery is scheduled for May 2005.
AAI Corporation is a company focused on the design and production of defense and training systems. Its products and services include unmanned aerial vehicle systems, training and simulation systems, automated aircraft test and maintenance equipment, and logistical/engineering services for government-owned equipment. For more information, see www.aaicorp.com.
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