NAPMA - News

29 Aug. 2011 | By NAPMA Staff

NATO Mid-Term Computer Upgrade Project Completion Ceremony

On 29 August 2011, at a ceremony held at the NAEW&C Programme Management Agency (NAPMA), the NATO E-3A community gathered to formally acknowledge the completion of the E-3A fleet retrofit with the NATO Mid-Term Computer Upgrade Project (CUP). In attendance were the NAEW&C Force Commander - Major General Schmidt, the NAPMA General Manager - Brigadier General Leinhos and the NAEW&C Component Commander - Brigadier General Pototzky. Also participating in the ceremony were representatives from the Electronic Systems Center/Division of Aerial Surveillance Systems - Colonel Scott Owens, Mr Dan Jaspering from The Boeing Company, Mr Joachim Friedrich from Cassidian (formerly known as EADS) and Mr Brian Fava from General Dynamics Canada.

In 2008, CUP was mandated to procure new computer processing and power supply boards for the mission consoles because existing boards were becoming obsolete and unsupportable. Contracts were let directly to the two primary contractors - Cassidian and General Dynamics of Canada. In addition, NAPMA contracted The Boeing Company through its United States Air Force contracting agent, Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base. By approaching the work in this manner, NAPMA implemented the project as the “integrator”.

The NAPMA General Manager, Brigadier General Leinhos, summed it up for everyone when he said:

“The system [CUP] delivered addresses the issue of obsolescence but also has enhanced the operational capacity of the total system. More importantly, it returned to the Force Commander an operational early warning and command capability that has very few rivals in the world today.”

Photo Caption: Brigadier General Leinhos receives the NATO Mid-Term CUP Certificate of Completion from representatives of Cassidian, General Dynamic Canada and The Boeing Company
Photographer: Paul van Wieringen