Cobham wins £24m contract to provide gadgets for US military
BRITISH defence contractor Cobham said yesterday it had sealed a $39m (£24m) contract to supply antennae to the US military.
The US Navy and Marine Corps will use the high tech communications equipment in their EA-6B and EA-18G aircraft.
A total of 90 devices have been ordered under the contract.
The deal win reflects the improving picture in the aerospace industry, following a number of UK companies that have recently secured lucrative contracts.
“Cobham’s Low Band Transmitter has a legacy of reliability and operational excellence,” said Jill Kale, vice president of Cobham Sensor Systems. “Activating this option to the fixed price contract is aligned with the Navy’s acquisition strategy, and capitalises on our expertise.”
The technology is used on combat planes to disrupt enemy radar and communications.
Cobham last month renewed a £270m bid for Danish rival Thrane & Thrane.
It dropped a bid but was encouraged to make a new swoop after a management shake-up at Thrane. It already owns 22.74 per cent of the company.
Cobham, whose equipment helps military vehicles such as F-35 fighter planes communicate with one another, also said last month that 2011 pre-tax profit rose seven per cent to £328m on sales three per cent lower at £1.85bn.
Shares in the FTSE 250-listed firm closed down 1.4 per cent, faring slightly worse than the wider market.
Cobham’s contract win echoes a string of recent contract boosts and upbeat results in the aviation sector.
Earlier this month Meggitt, which supplies flight displays and wheels, said it was confident it would deliver full-year revenue growth in excess of 10 per cent, driven largely by growth at its civil aerospace unit.
And aero engineer Senior said first quarter profit had been slightly ahead of its expectations.