L-3 gets F/A-18 trainer subcontract

L-3 Communications Corp. has won a $34 million subcontract from Boeing Co. of Chicago to build and upgrade flight simulators that will be used to train F/A-18 aircrews at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., the company announced today.

The contract is worth $46 million if all options are exercised, the company said.

Under the contract, the Link Simulation and Training Division of New York-based L-3 will build one new F/A-18E/F tactical operational flight trainer, upgrade a trainer with Link's SimuSphere visual display system, and modify one 40-foot F/A-18C weapons tactics trainer dome simulator to the latest F/A-18E/F aircraft configuration. All of the trainers will be housed at NAS Oceana.

The contract includes two options. The first option requires Link to upgrade the second F/A 18C WTT dome at NAS Oceana to an F/A-18E/F aircraft configuration.

The second option requires Link to make significant hardware upgrades to one trainer, including changing the cockpit aft-seat configuration and upgrading host computer and instructor station technology with a modern, cost-effective personal computer solution. All work on the program is slated for competition in 2006.

L-3 Communications is a provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and products, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization, and training and government services. The company has more than 25,000 employees and annual sales of $4 billion.