BRISBANE, Australia, 30 Nov. 2009. Officials at Boeing Defense Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing [NYSE: BA], signed a Deed of Standing Offer to provide electromagnetic environmental effects (E3) testing and design services for Australian defense force (ADF) aircraft and systems.
The deed will allow any ADF operational unit to contract with the Boeing E3 team to test for electromagnetic interference and its detrimental environmental effects on military platforms and equipment, as well as provide design advice to correct any E3 susceptibilities or problems identified for a platform. Certain electromagnetic frequencies can affect flight- and mission-critical systems within an aircraft.
"As the first company in the Southern Hemisphere to receive National Association of Testing Authority certification to conduct E3 tests on military and commercial aircraft, Boeing has the resources and skills to help the ADF maximize the performance and safety of its platforms and equipment," says John Duddy, vice president and managing director of Boeing Defense Australia.
Mark Wade, head of Systems Certification and Integrity for ADF's Directorate General Technical Airworthiness, says that "Boeing's ability to verify that an ADF aircraft can withstand an operational electromagnetic environment will be a significant contributor to aircraft capability and safety."
Boeing and the Directorate General Technical Airworthiness worked together for six months to develop the deed, which will significantly reduce contract negotiation times due to simplified individual E3 contract terms and conditions for both parties.
Boeing tests aircraft and other platforms at its E3 facility at Royal Australian air force (RAAF) base in Amberley, Australia, and at customer sites. The tests are completed using software programs developed and written in-house by the Boeing E3 team and cover a range of frequencies between 4MHz and 400MHz. The following military platforms and equipment have completed E3 testing to date: F-111 weapons systems and modifications; ground platforms and air equipment for the RAAF's modernized high frequency communications system, and Australian army Black Hawk helicopter systems.
