Army modifies Hellfire launcher deal

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has modified a contract with Lockheed Martin for the company to deliver additional Hellfire missile launcher systems.

U.S. company Lockheed Martin says its Launcher Bridge 3 contract with the Army, originally awarded in 2007, has been modified by $31.3 million. Under the new deal, Lockheed will deliver an additional 298 of its M299 missile launchers and 134 launcher electronic assemblies, along with spare supplies.

The M299, a helicopter-mounted four-rail missile launching technology, is designed for adaptability with multiple platforms launching the widely deployed Hellfire air-to-ground missile.

"The M299's versatility supports multiple missions in a single sortie by any of several platforms," Ken Musculus, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control air-to-ground missile systems program director, said in a statement.