22 January 2003

Smiths Wins Contract to Supply ASTOR with Chemical Detection Equipment

22 January 2003 – Watford, England - In a contract placed recently by Raytheon Systems Ltd (Harlow, Essex, England) Smiths Detection are to supply chemical warfare detection equipment for the ground stations of the Airborne Standoff Radar (ASTOR) programme. The contract with a value of around £300K calls for delivery of the GID-3 & Chemical Agent Monitor (CAM) to fulfill a variety of chemical defence roles in and around the ground stations for the ASTOR programme. Raytheon placed the contract following evaluation of internationally available competitors and negotiations as to availability and delivery of the equipment to match the delivery programme of ASTOR. Other requirements of the programme include supply of various alarm systems and C2 capabilities from the detectors.

Manufacture and support will take place at Smiths Detection Watford site. Product support involves a training programme as well as equipment support through the life of the programme. These items give ASTOR a survivability capability not present in any other major mobile system. GID-3 and CAM can be added to any suitable enclosed space whether overpressured against NBC agents or not. Applications include armoured fighting vehicles, hospitals, ships and shelters.

About Smiths

Smiths Detection and Smiths Heimann form the detection and security systems business of Smiths Aerospace. They are both world leaders in their markets - Smiths Detection in trace detection equipment for chemical & biological agents, explosives and narcotics; Smiths Heimann in x-ray security systems to detect illegal or hazardous items and explosives. Smiths Aerospace, a part of Smiths Group, is the leading transatlantic aerospace equipment company, with half its 12,000 staff and $2bn revenues in North America.