A leading systems integrator for special
mission aircraft (SMA), Israeli company S.G.D. Engineering is pursuing new
business opportunities during Aero India 2015. Speaking to MT, S.G.D.
Engineering's country manager for India, Vinod Ahuja, who is a retired
commander of the Indian navy, explained that the company's main product lines
are airborne pods and SMA. The company's engineering skills span from concept
phase to fielding and may include design, testing, installation, integration
and certification of modifications, electrical systems, avionics, environmental
systems, mock ups and airframes. It also offers a wide range of mission systems
that are integrated in cooperation with major defence companies or through
subcontractors. These include personnel locator systems (PLS), EWSP systems,
ballistic protection and optical surveillance systems. In addition, S.G.D.
Engineering works on communications systems, cooling systems, radars and
radomes. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, the company has production and assembly
facilities in Yokneam in northern Israel.
The company's airborne pods include
sensors and systems for reconnaissance, SAR, ELINT, EW and self protection
purposes. For instance, S.G.D. Engineering has conducted F-16 Recce Pod
development for the Goodrich DB-110 system while it is also involved in
production of these pods. The company has also been certified by IAI, IMI,
Lockheed Martin and Elettronica.
Recent SMA modifications include the
upgrade of a Turkish air force Airbus DS CN-235 into an "Open Skies"
configuration while it has performed an ISR conversion of Boeing 707 aircraft.
Modifications included the addition of an EO/IR sensor, EW, SIGINT equipment,
chaff and flares. Two C-130 EWSP programmes were conducted for two undisclosed
countries. It has also upgraded rotary wing aircraft including Sikorsky S70
Blackhawks of the Israeli air force and Turkish land forces. The latter upgrade
involved the installation of a FLIR turret, operator station, PLS, cockpit
panel and VHF, UHF radios, all clearly related to a personnel recovery
requirement. Ahuja revealed that his company had also performed Mi-17 upgrades
for India, Turkey and Russia with either EWSP or SIGINT equipment being
installed.
Pieter Bastiaans
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