Northrop-Grumman Selected as Preferred Bidder for UK E-3D Support Contract

The UK Ministry of Defense has selected Northrop-Grumman as the preferred bidder for the Royal Air Force's E-3D Sentry AWACS aircraft maintenance and design engineering support services program.

The RAF's E-3D support program is aimed at reducing through-life ownership costs. Northrop-Grumman and UL Ministry of Defense will enter negotiations about program specifics, with an anticipated contract award date of January 2005. The program covering over 21 years is valued at approximately $1.19 billion (£650 million).

The UK Ministry of Defense preferred bidder status means that some detailed discussions with the customer must be carried out prior to agree the terms and conditions of the resulting contract.

Under the terms of the contract, Northrop-Grumman will ensure that only one aircraft, out of a fleet of seven, is in scheduled maintenance at any given time. The contract also includes spares and repair parts, inventory upkeep, support of design engineering, maintenance training, and conversion and management of technical information in an electronic format.

Northrop-Grumman Information Technology (IT) sector teammates include AAR CORP., Wood Dale, Illinois; BAe Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK; and FR Aviation, Christchurch, Dorset, UK. The program will employ about 165 people, with 145 being in the UK. Work will be carried out at RAF Waddington, near Lincoln, UK.

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