BAE building weapon testers for U.S. bombers

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- BAE Systems on Monday announced receipt of a U.S. Air Force contract to build armament testers for the weapons systems of the U.S. bomber fleets.

A total of 90 BAT systems, to be built in three increments over a nine-year period, will test the operational readiness of bomb ejector racks, rotary launchers, and pylon assemblies on B-1B, B-2A and B-52H aircraft.

The contract carries a value of more than $64 million, the company said.

"The BAT system provides critical verification that the aircraft's weapon systems are operating as specified," Kevin Malone, vice president of Analytics Systems at BAE Systems, said in a press release. "Our team, which includes Marvin Test Solutions and the Air Force Air Logistics Complexes, has extensive experience developing flight-line qualified armament testers and test program sets."

Work on the program will be performed primarily at BAE Systems' facilities in San Diego, Calif., and Fort Worth, Texas.

BAE Systems has designed and manufactured test solutions for military use for more than 40 years. The company provides stores system testers for more than 3,000 F-16 aircraft flying today.