The U.S. Department of Defense announced no fewer than 35 separate contract awards, worth a combined $1.78 billion Friday. Of these, Boeing (BA +0.53%) won two contracts cleanly, and part of a third:
- $24.1 million: to supply rotary wing blades for U.S. Army helicopters through Aug. 31, 2015.
- $22.7 million: via a modification to a previously awarded contract to develop and demonstrate the new AH-64 Apache Block III attack helicopter. The latest iteration of the Apache, the Block III is said to include upgrades permitting, for example, the in-flight control of unmanned aerial vehicles from aboard the helo, as well as a new split-torque face gear transmission that boosts power throughout by more than 20% over previous versions of the Apache.
AH-64 Apache Block III, Source: Boeing
- $8.9 million: via an award to the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, through which Boeing collaborates with Textron's (TXT 0.97%) Bell Helicopter in the production of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. This contract orders the JPO to supply 10 V-22 Block A to B 50-69 series upgrade kits and ten V-22 Block A to B 50-69 series installs for the U.S. Naval Air System Command.
