Smiths, the defence group, today announced it had won another large deal to supply technology for Boeing’s new Dreamliner jet.
The company said that its Smiths Aerospace division had won contracts worth more than $1.6 billion (£873m) to provide landing gear actuation systems for the 7E7 aircraft.
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In February Smiths said the Seattle-based aircraft giant had chosen it to provide its Common Core System (CCS) for the 7E7, technology that makes up the jet’s “central nervous system”.
Smiths said total revenues on the 7E7 contracts were expected to approach three billion US dollars (£1.64bn) during the aircraft’s lifetime.
The firm’s chief executive Keith Butler-Wheelhouse said: “This news reflects Smiths’ long-term commitment to investment in research and development and reconfirms our tier-one supplier status with Boeing.”
Boeing 7E7 senior vice-president Mike Bair said: ”We’re making great progress in bringing our team together.”
The first system delivery from Smiths is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2006 and the 7E7 is due to enter service in 2008.
The 7E7 is Boeing’s latest attempt to fight off the challenge from European rival Airbus in the intercontinental jetliner market.
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Meanwhile, the Dorset-based aerospace and defence group Cobham said currency fluctuations would reduce its profitability by about 5 per cent compared with the six months to the end of June last year.
It said Airbus and Boeing had indicated some improvement in the commercial aerospace market while US defence spending continued to be strong and its US businesses were performing well.