LONGBOW LLC, a joint venture company of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, is to produce its fire control radar to India for use on the Indian Air Force's new Apache AH-64E attack helicopters.

The contract -- awarded by the U.S. Army for a Foreign Military Sales deal -- is worth $57.1 million.

The $51.7 million is obligated to Longbow, with a total not-to-exceed contract value of $116.7 million.

"With LONGBOW FCR, the Indian Air Force will receive a rapid all-weather targeting capability," said Jim Messina, LONGBOW LLC president and director of LONGBOW programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The FCR's air over-watch mode provides aircrews with 360-degree situational awareness, improving survivability and mission success."

"Our highly reliable LONGBOW FCR has been repeatedly proven in combat, protecting warfighters around the globe at an affordable cost," said Ike Song, vice president, Mission Solutions, Northrop Grumman's Land & Avionics C4ISR Division.

Production of the Indian systems will continue into early 2019, Lockheed Martin said.

The LONGBOW FCR automatically detects, locates, classifies and prioritize targets for Apache crew and enables rapid, multi-target engagement in all weather and through battlefield obscurants.

France approved for additional Hellfire missiles
Washington (UPI) May 3, 2016 - France has received U.S. State Department approval for the purchase of additional Hellfire missiles through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program.

The new French request is specifically for an additional 200 Lockheed Martin AGM-114K1A Hellfire missiles, Hellfire missile conversion, blast fragmentation sleeves and installation kits, containers, and transportation.

The total estimated cost of the deal is $30 million.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages the FMS program, said in its notification to Congress that the additional missiles will meet France's operational requirements for a precision guided tactical missile for its Tigre Attack Helicopter.

"The purchase will directly support French forces actively engaged in operations in Mali and Northern Africa, providing them the capability to successfully engage targets with minimal collateral damage.

The new missiles and equipment requested would be added to an earlier $42 million deal for 112 AGM-114K1A Hellfire missiles, 102 AGM-114N1A Hellfire missiles, 50 ATM-114Q1A Hellfire training missiles, plus other equipment. Some of the equipment has already been delivered to France.