On Friday, Aurora Flight Sciences announced it has received a new contract from the Navy Aviation Department in Jacksonville, FL to fabricate panels for the Navy's EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. The contract is similar to refurbishment work Aurora performed for the now-retired F-14 Tomcat, and represents an opportunity for the company to expand its metals and composite work for the Navy.

"For more than 40 years, the EA-6B Prowler has suppressed enemy air defenses and protected the lives of countless naval aviators," said Ron Richman, Aurora Flight Sciences of West Virginia's General Manager. "Aurora is proud to apply our tooling and metal fabrication experience to keep these workhorses of the fleet flying."

Under the contract, Aurora will develop new tooling from components and drawings supplied by the Navy. The company will then fabricate a test article that will be the tooling from a scrapped part and drawings supplied from the Navy.

Once the tooling is complete, Aurora will build one test article. After successful testing of the first article and certification as an approved supplier for the panel, Aurora will fabricate an additional six units. Once this process is complete, Aurora hopes to perform additional work for the EA- 6B.

Aurora Flight Sciences is a leader in unmanned aerial vehicle technology for research, defense and homeland security organizations. For more than 17 years, Aurora Flight Sciences has expanded the limits of unmanned flight through the design and manufacture of innovative aircraft.

FMI: www.aurora.aero