Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced today that it was awarded a contract from Boeing Defense to provide the upgraded Aerial Refueling Operator Station (AROS 2.0) for new U.S. Air Force KC-46 Pegasus refueling tanker aircraft.

Under the contract, DRS will manufacture the AROS 2.0 units and deliver them to Boeing for installation. The AROS 2.0 system is a replacement to the previous generation of AROS refueling operator stations. DRS was the original provider of the first generation of AROS with more than 85 consoles fielded to date.

“We are very proud to again be the provider of this critical system that ensures aircrew refuelers are given the best available technology to perform this challenging mission. We will continue to provide agile service and quality products to support these critical operators,” said Cari Ossenfort, senior vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Naval Electronics business unit. “We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Boeing in support of the U.S. Air Force.”

AROS was designed for the aircraft to seat two operators at the front of the tanker using displays for each operator. The system allows operators to perform aerial refueling missions while seated near the pilot and other crew members compared to legacy tankers that use a single boom operated seated or prone in the tail looking out a window.

The AROS 2.0 units will be manufactured at the company’s Johnstown, Pennsylvania manufacturing center of excellence.

DRS’s advanced manufacturing process used on AROS is an example of the company’s deep experience as a leader in complex manufacturing and technical design package management. This capability supports a wide range of missions for the U.S. military and allies around the world and extending across all domains to support air and space missions, force protection, computer networking and C5I, as well as naval power and propulsion and electronic systems.

Source:businesswire.com