Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and the US concern Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) have signed a strategic cooperation agreement in the military electro-optics field.
Northrop Grumman, one of the US Department of Defense’s largest suppliers, will market systems manufactured by the IAI - TAMAM Optronics and Navigation division to US defense agencies.
Northrop Grumman will offer the Israeli systems to the US Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air National Guard. IAI estimates potential sales to the US market in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
TAMAM will benefit from Northrop Grumman’s marketing set-up for its special payloads, including a variety of surveillance equipment, such as TV cameras, infrared night vision equipment, and middle range lasers.
Northrop Grumman will now market TAMAM’s two flagship products. The first is POP - a 5-km medium-range light surveillance payload, designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), helicopters, and other uses.
The second product is MOSP a 20-km long-range surveillance payload. IAI says that these products have been supplied for a variety of IDF weapons systems, including airplanes and ships.
Northrop Grumman VP targeting and surveillance programs Defensive Systems Division Mike Lennon said, “This agreement will build on the individual strengths of our two world-class organizations to expand business opportunities for certain classes of UAVs. He revealed that TAMAM’s systems will be integrated in the US Army’s UAVs.
TAMAM general manager Zion Sarig said, “We are confident that this teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division will increase the potential business opportunities for TAMAM'S existing electro-optical payloads and allow the two companies to work together on future payloads in a very cost effective manner.”
Published by Globes [online] -l www.globes.co.il - on July 16, 2003