The contract, valued at nearly $14 million dollars, includes qualification, production, test, engineering and technical support services.

The LAU-7 and LAU-127 rail launchers, which provide the electronic and mechanical interfaces between the missiles and the launch aircraft, are used to employ various missiles from a variety of aircraft, such as the F/A-18 Hornet and AH-1W Super Cobra.

Marotta's M-PACT will supply the high-pressure compressed air required to achieve on-board cryogenic cooling of the infra-red missile seeker head.

M-PACT is a complete pneumatic system comprised of three main components: a valve manifold with integral accumulator assembly, a miniature compressor, and an electronic controller designed by Marotta for this specific high-pressure pure air generating application.

RIX Industries, located in Benicia, California, co-developed the M-PACT system with Marotta and will be providing the compressor and drying elements for the system.

"The market challenged us to improve high-pressure pneumatic pure air generation technology," said Michael J. Leahan, Vice President and Chief Sales Officer of Marotta.

"For more than three years we have worked closely with our partner, RIX Industries, to develop the M-PACT system, and in so doing have demonstrated innovative technology and engineering quality that corresponds to the highest standards.

"We are extremely proud to be NAVAIR's partner on this project, and to bring tangible improvements to our country's precision strike weapon capabilities."

Recently, The Boeing Company selected Marotta's M-PACT system for pneumatic weapon ejection on-board its new P8A-MMA Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. Marotta's M-PACT will supply the high-pressure compressed air to jettison the weapons from each weapon station.

Beyond these applications, Marotta has additional high-pressure pneumatic projects on the Small Diameter Bomb program and a variety of military applications such as high-pressure pneumatic cutting.

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