Sierra Nevada wins new $23M contrat for Saudi King Air 350 program.

Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) as been awarded a $23.8 million order for the Saudi King Air 350 program, the US Department of Defense stated on October 31, 2018.

A KSAF King Air 350ER aicraft
(Source: Internet)

This contract provides for the modification of two King Air 350ER (extended range) aircraft with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/synthetic aperture radar capability; one transportable ground station; one fixed ground station; and one mission system trainer. 

According to an official announcement, work will be performed in Hagerstown, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by May 2020.  "This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and one offer was received. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $99,779,067. This contract involves 100 percent foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia," the Pentagon added. 

A further two Beechcraft King Air 350ER with ISR/SAR capability were ordered for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) on April 6, 2018, through the FMS program. This $14 million deal is a modification to a previous $71 million contrat awarded to SNC on April 2016, covering conversion of two King Air 350 aircraft to the same configuration. 

Besides the four aircraft ordered from SNC, the RSAF has also previously ordered two ISR-configured King Air 350s from L-3 Communications Integrated Systems Group through an FMS contract awarded on August 22, 2014.