General Dynamics reaches OH-58D component delivery milestone
General Dynamics has announced that its Global Imaging Technologies business has delivered the 1,000th precision-machined beryllium sensor housing to DRS Technologies for the US Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter. DRS integrates the sensor housings into the OH-58D Mast Mounted Sight (MMS).
General Dynamics provides close-tolerance machining and processing of beryllium to tolerances of up to 1/100,000 (0.000001) of an inch to manufacture sensor housing units tailored to DRS Technologies specifications. As it has a weight of one-third of that of aluminium, beryllium allows the sensor housing to meet challenging size, weight and power requirements. Additionally, beryllium is six times stiffer than steel and has a high thermal stability, allowing the housing to maintain its integrity in harsh airborne environments.
Bob McGill, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Global Imaging Technologies, said: ‘We are very proud of the continued hard work and dedication exhibited by our employees on this project. For more than two and a half decades, our unique expertise in beryllium machining has allowed us to reliably deliver these precise, complex structures in support of DRS and the Kiowa Warrior Helicopter.’
The Kiowa Warrior helicopter performs armed reconnaissance, security, target acquisition and designation, command and control, light attack and defensive air combat missions in support of combat and contingency operations for the US Army.
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