The U.S. Department of Defence (DOD) has awarded Lockheed Martin a $102.4 million contract to upgrade the sensors on Egypt’s fleet of 43 Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters to the latest AH-64E Guardian standard.
The contract includes Apache Attack Helicopter Modernized Target Acquisition Designation/Pilot Night Vision Sensor System (M-TADS/PNVS. The contract runs through July 2024.
The U.S. State Department cleared a proposal to refurbish the helicopters in May 2020 for an estimated $2.3 billion. The upgrade included “remanufactured engines, AN/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/AN/AAR-11 Pilot Night Vision Sensors”, and other equipment.
According to The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) statements Egyptian government intends to use the upgraded Apaches to counter “terrorist activities emanating from the Sinai Peninsula, which threaten Egyptian and Israeli security and undermine regional stability.”
