Monday, August 4, 2008

BAE brings in $21M Air Force tracking tech deal

By Mass High Tech Staff

BAE Systems reports its Burlington-based Advanced Information Technologies unit will develop a software platform for long-term maritime and ground target tracking under a new $21.5 million deal from the U.S. Air Force. The project includes radar sensor networking and communications technologies, according to the company.

In June, BAE announced its Nashua, N.H., facility would develop the advanced magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) product designs of Toronto-based Micromem Applied Sensor Technologies Inc. Also in June, the company landed almost $32 million for electronic countermeasure systems from the U.S. Navy.

In May, the defense company landed a $60 million order to provide thermal imaging modules to Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS under a U.S. Army contract.

In April, BAE landed a $38 million contract to lead a team of university scientists developing miniature robots intended to improve military battlefield intelligence. Work on that project is being done at the defense contractor’s Merrimack, N.H., facility. BAE Systems will lead microsystems integration; the University of Michigan will lead microelectronics; the University of Maryland will lead microsystem mechanics; and the University of Pennsylvania will lead processing for autonomous operation.

BAE Systems is the U.S. subsidiary of United Kingdom-based BAE Systems plc (LON: BA) and is headquartered in Rockville, Md. BAE Systems plc employs 97,500 people worldwide.