Finmeccanica, via its company SELEX Galileo, has been awarded a contract worth GBP 400 million (approximately EUR 490 million) by BAE Systems to supply Praetorian Defensive Aids Sub-Systems (DASS) in support of Tranche 3A of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme.

Designed specifically for the Eurofighter, the Praetorian DASS provides an unmatched level of situational awareness and protection for Eurofighter crews. Delivery of the first batch of the Praetorian systems will be made to the four partner countries (UK, Italy, Spain and Germany) by mid-2012.

"This contract is further confirmation of the key role that Finmeccanica plays in the Eurofighter programme, not only in the aeronautics sector, but also in systems, a market segment in which SELEX Galileo has become a European leader," said Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, Chairman and CEO of Finmeccanica.

The systems manufactured by SELEX Galileo are a testament to the excellence of the standards currently available for Tranche 2 aircraft. They are also supplied with the capacity for additional enhancements that can meet clients' current and future operational requirements.

SELEX Galileo is the lead contractor and retains design authority for the Praetorian system. The company leads the EuroDASS Consortium (comprising Elettronica, Indra Sistemas, EADS and SELEX Galileo) and is responsible for the production of more than 20 line replaceable items that make up the Praetorian system.