EDO MBM Carries Out Urgent USAF A-10 Thunderbolt Contract

New information shows ITT - EDO MBM carried out an urgent manufacturing request for electrical components for USAF A-10 Military jet between May and June this year.

According to US Govt records on 14 May this year Brighton arms makers EDO MBM were awarded a manufacturing contract by the United States Air Force for 2,638 Electrical Connectors for the American A-10 Thunderbolt II military jet used for 'close air support' operations in Iraq.

The contract (file ref. FA8221-08-R-73182) was worth $183,713 and was marked

“Priority: C. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY URGENT REQUIREMENT CONCERNING PUBLIC EXIGENCY.”

All items were required on or before 30 June.

According to Wikipedia:

'The A-10 has been flown exclusively by the United States Air Force and its Air Reserve Components, the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and the Air National Guard (ANG). As of March 2008, 20 squadrons operate the A-10'

'On 30 April 2003, USCENTAF published ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom: By the Numbers’, a declassified report about the aerial campaign in the Iraq conflict. Sixty A-10s were deployed in Iraq; one was shot down near Baghdad International Airport by Iraqi fire late in the campaign. Of the A-10s deployed, 47 were Air National Guard Aircraft, and 12 were from the Air Force Reserve. The A-10 had a mission capable rate of 85% in the war, and fired 311,597 rounds of 30 mm ammunition.'

'Armament
Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GAU-8/A Avenger gatling gun with 1174 rounds
Hardpoints: 8× under-wing and 3× under-fuselage pylon stations holding up to 16,000 lb (7,200 kg) and accommodating:
Mark 82, Mark 83, and Mark 84 general-purpose bombs

or
Mk 77 incendiary bombs

or
BLU-1, BLU-27/B Rockeye II, Mk20, BL-755[33] and CBU-52/58/71/87/89/97 cluster bombs or
Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (A-10C)
or
GBU-10 Paveway II, GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-16 Paveway II and GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs

or
Joint Direct Attack Munition (A-10C)[34]

or'

….etc etc

****

Notes.

Solicitation Notice

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:tctCZxNruyQJ:www.fbodaily.com/archive/2008/03-March/12-Mar-2008/FBO-01528280.htm+SCD-M11579&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&lr=lang_en

Award Notice

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=0a3d78ef79c64a80d119f316c8ad8b19&tab=core&_cview=1

Wikipedia

A-10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Thunderbolt_II

infonerd
Homepage: http://www.smashedo.org.uk

Comments

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A-10 Electrical Connector was invented in Brighton

04.07.2008 09:33

The Electrical Connector also goes by the name of Field Replaceable Connector System (FRCS) and was invented in Brighton by John Eaton and Micheal Cruttenden of EDO MBM Technology Ltd.

John Eaton has since become a director of the company.

...

From EDO MBM website...

EDO MBM Technology Ltd in association with W L Gore & Associates and Deutsch Ltd have successfully launched the next generation MIL-STD-1760 ‘smart’ weapon snatch connector harness incorporating the EDO MBM Field Replaceable Connector System (FRCS). Unlike current MIL-DTL-38999/31 snatch connectors, FRCS provides an efficient, ‘jam free’ electrical interface on weapon disconnect with predictable and consistent separation forces.

FRCS was originally developed in response to the degraded operational capability resulting from high separation loads and harness damage universally experienced during ‘1760’ store releases. EDO MBM sought an alternative method to prevent the electrical connector from jamming. The FRCS solution was first embodied during the recent UK UOR integration of Enhanced Paveway II onto the Harrier GR7 and is currently being adopted on Tornado. FRCS roll change harnesses are now in full production and certified on several NATO fighter platforms.

End users will benefit considerably from the FRCS harness. In addition to being fully field replaceable/ repairable, the connector is self-aligning (preventing contact damage) and eases blind / recessed connector mating. The new design does not require any modification to the mating weapon connector or aircraft. FRCS can also be retro-fitted to existing harnesses.

http://www.mbmtech.co.uk/pa.html