ITT Exelis awarded contract for mission-critical F/A-18 electronics

ITT Exelis (NYSE: XLS) has received a $5.7 million multiyear award to produce 375 generator control modules for F/A-18 aircraft. Production will take place through January 2015.

F/A-18 aircraft carry two of the modules, each controlling one side of the aircraft's power requirements. In case of a power failure to one module, the other can pick up the entire aircraft's power load. The contract, awarded by GE Aviation, Dayton, Ohio, will be completed by the Exelis Electronic Systems operation in North Amityville, N.Y.

"This demanding application required us to design high power components to go in small spaces that wouldn't overheat," said Rich Sorelle, vice president and general manager of Exelis Electronic Systems' integrated electronic warfare systems business. "Because of our success during design, development, and early production, we earned preferred supplier status with GE Aviation."

Exelis uses innovative electronic packaging technologies that reduce the size and weight of the generator control modules. The company has produced more than 2,200 surface-mount, double-sided, constrained core technology assemblies to date; this award continues production.