Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets, announced today that it was awarded a contract for three aviation trainers, one Kratos UH-60M Black Hawk Avionics Trainer (BHAT) and two Kratos UH-60M Maintenance Blended Reconfigurable Aviation Trainers (MBRAT). The contract, valued at $16,917,796, is a Foreign Military Sales award issued by the United States Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation Utility Project Office. The end customer is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Rotary Wing Aircraft Maintenance School (RAMS) located at the Australian Army Aviation Centre, Swartz Barracks, Oakey, Queensland Australia. The devices can enhance operational readiness and enable cost effectiveness by allowing students to grasp concepts and practice skills more quickly, reducing the overall time spent on training and away from operating units. The UH-60M MBRAT is a full-task trainer of all avionics systems that invokes a virtual immersive environment and spatial physical awareness. The UH-60M BHAT is a High-Fidelity Hands On Training System (HOTS) that provides full task training through simulation of all avionics systems in a fully integrated configuration within a complete immersive physical environment.
The three UH-60M avionics trainers will become part of the ADF’s new UH-60M maintenance training capability and complement the existing Kratos CH-47F avionics trainer at RAMS. As Jose Diaz, Sr. Vice President, Kratos Training Solutions, stated: “The ADF’s future Blackhawk avionics maintenance technicians will train on a suite of cutting-edge devices that combine the Blackhawk airframe with simulated avionics systems for a combined hands-on and virtually immersive training experience.”
The Australian Defence Force is no stranger to the Black Hawk. From September 1987, the RAAF, then soon after the Army, operated a fleet of 39 Sikorsky S-70A-9 Black Hawks as replacements for the Vietnam-era Iroquois helicopters. This wasn’t plain sailing. Shortages of spares initially restricted their use and five were lost in accidents. Black Hawks were well regarded by the crews, an affection which never really transferred to their successors, the NH Industries MRH 90 Taipan, chosen in 2005 initially to replace the remaining Iroquois, as well as Navy Sea Kings and Army Black Hawks. They will operate from Oakey with the 5th Aviation Regiment and Holsworthy, with the 6th Aviation Regiment and supported by Australian industry contractors. Sikorsky Australia, a Lockheed Martin company, has been sustaining the ADF Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopter fleets for more than 30 years.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a Technology Company that develops and fields transformative, affordable systems, products and solutions for United States National Security, our allies and global commercial enterprises. At Kratos, Affordability is a Technology, and Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technology is rapidly brought to market – at a low cost – with actual products, systems and technologies rather than slide decks or renderings. Through proven commercial and venture capital backed approaches, including proactive, internally funded research and streamlined development processes, Kratos is focused on being First to Market with our solutions, well in advance of competition. Kratos is the recognized Technology Disruptor in our core market areas, including Space and Satellite Communications, Cyber Security and Warfare, Unmanned Systems, Rocket and Hypersonic Systems, Next-Generation Jet Engines and Propulsion Systems, Microwave Electronics, C5ISR and Virtual and Augmented Reality Training Systems.
