Elbit Systems Ltd. On Tuesday announced that it was awarded an approximately $93 million contract from an Asia-Pacific country to upgrade its F-5 aircraft fleet. The contract will be performed over a three-year period.
Under the upgrade contract, Elbit Systems will supply the F-5 with cutting-edge systems, including Head-Up Displays (HUDs), an advanced cockpit, radars, weapon delivery and navigation systems, as well as DASH IV Head Mounted Systems.
The Northrop F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E and F-5F Tiger II are part of a supersonic light fighter family, initially designed in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. Being smaller and simpler than their contemporary, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, the F-5 cost less to both procure and operate, making it a popular export aircraft.
Yoram Shmuely, Elbit Systems Aerospace Division’s General Manager, commented: “We are proud to have been selected to perform this upgrade program, building on our vast know-how and experience in F-5 modernization projects. We have witnessed a growing demand for similar upgrades, and we trust that further customers will follow, benefiting from a mature aircraft upgraded with the most advanced technology in the market.”
Elbit Systems is a world leader in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter upgrade programs, integrating advanced weapons, communications, navigation, electro-optical and EW systems to provide the advanced net-centric capabilities vital for today’s fast-paced missions.