Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that it was awarded a follow-on contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for the continuation of the GROB G-120-AI (“Snunit”) trainer aircraft operation program, in service at the Air Force Flight Academy in Hatzerim. Under the new contract, Elbit Systems will operate the trainers for an additional period of ten years, starting in 2012, following the completion of the current program.The contract is valued at approximately $20 million.

The “Snunit” program was the IAF’s first Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project. Under the multi-year program, the IAF purchases training hours onboard Elbit Systems’ GROB G-120-AI, and Elbit Systems is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the aircraft, which is performed by a dedicated technical crew Elbit Systems employs in Southern Israel.

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The Royal Australian Navy fired Raytheon’s Standard Missile-2 Block IIIA anti-air warfare missile during recent tests on board the HMAS Melbourne. “With this firing, Melbourne’s crew validated the work done to transition warships from SM-1 capability to SM-2,” said Ron Shields, Raytheon’s SM-2 program director. “This was the first time an SM-2 has been launched by any navy from an upgraded frigate, clearing the way for other fleets to make similar upgrades.”

As the most widely fielded variant of SM-2, Block IIIA is deployed by the U.S. and eight allied navies. The missile is part of a long-range area air defense capability capitalizing on communication techniques, midcourse guidance, advanced signal processing and propulsion improvements. These enhancements substantially increase the intercept range to 90 nautical miles (104 statute miles) and provide high- and low-altitude intercept capability and performance against advanced anti-ship missile threats.

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Thales and New Zeland signed a multi-year contract to supply various types of Small Arms Ammunition to the New Zealand Army from the company’s Benalla facility in Victoria. The propellant for the ammunition, known for its superior ballistic performance at extreme temperatures, will be supplied from Thales’s operation in Mulwala, NSW.

Thales is Australia’s leading supplier of munitions, propellants, ordnance and related logistics to the Australian Defence Force, with many years’ experience in high quality manufacturing and product innovation. Chris Jenkins, Chairman of Thales New Zealand, said the agreement represented a long term commitment to working with the New Zealand Army.

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