Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Korean firm getting gun systems from General Dynamics

By Brendan Lynch

General Dynamics Corp. reports it has landed a contract from Korea Aerospace Industries to produce gun systems.

Financial terms of the deal were not released. Under the contract, General Dynamics’ Armament and Technical Products division will provide the South Korea-based company with up to 82 A-50 20 mm gun systems.

Manufacturing will be performed at General Dynamics’ Saco, Maine, facility, and the program will be managed by General Dynamics’ Burlington, Vt., facility. Another South Korea-based company, S&T Dynamics Ltd., will produce the ammunition containers for the gun systems under a subcontract with General Dynamics. Deliveries are planned to begin in October of 2010.

The gun systems are intended to be used on the T/A-50 light trainer/attack aircraft made by KAI. The system provides the relatively small T/A-50 with 20 mm Gatling gun capabilities comparable to that of larger fighter aircraft, according to General Dynamics.

Last week, General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products landed $18 million from Raytheon Co. for gun systems to be used by U.S. Navy ships.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 91,200 people worldwide. The defense contractor reported a 2007 net income of $2.1 billion on revenue of $27.2 billion.