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L3Harris Technologies announced today a $29 million contract to provide smart weapon release systems to three allied military forces in the Middle East and North Africa regions, enabling pilots to double the number of smart munitions their F-16s can carry.
The Bomb Release Unit (BRU)-57/A allows F-16s in the air defense forces of Bahrain, Jordan and Morocco to carry two smart weapons on each system instead of one, doubling munitions capacity. It is compatible with 500-pound and 1,000-pound guided weapons.
“Our release systems provide extra offensive capabilities while giving commanders the versatility to deploy the right firepower for every mission”
Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris
“Our release systems provide extra offensive capabilities while giving commanders the versatility to deploy the right firepower for every mission,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “These combat-proven systems provide munitions overmatch and allows mission commanders to send the right weapon at the right time to the right target.”
Tailorable to mission requirements, the release systems provide ground crews the flexibility to add or remove smart weapons capabilities on F-16s. Adding two additional smart munitions on each F-16 mean commanders can reduce the number of aircraft on a strike mission and provide more time on station with fewer returns to base for rearming.
The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract includes an initial lot of 105 release systems. The systems started service for U.S., allied and partner air forces in 1999, with more than 1,100 ordered to date.
