June 28, 2011 Tony Osborne, SHEPARD GROUP
London - The French defence procurement agency, the DGA, has delivered the first of 16 newly upgraded Panther helicopters back to the French Navy.
The first of the upgraded aircraft, known as 'Standard 2', was delivered on 31 May and the last will arrive in 2016.
This new version improves the interoperability of the aircraft with other platforms through the integration of the Link 11 data link, while the avionics have been completely modernised in compliance with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) rules.
The changes include integration of navigation and mission displays on the cockpit dashboard, secure communications radios, installation of GPS, and Mode S systems. The helicopters will also be equipped with a EO/IR camera.
The programme was launched back in January 2007 when the DGA awarded Eurocopter a €54 million contract to Eurocopter and a further €7 million contract to ESIS, which is responsible for developing and delivering the tactical consoles for the upgrade.
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