Lockheed Martin is to continue first-phase upgrades to the targeting and pilotage system of U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

The work will be conducted under a Lot 4 follow-on contract worth $21.7 million for continued production of the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly, or M-DSA.

The M-DSA includes the Modernized Laser Rangefinder Designator kit, or M-LRFD, the main targeting aid for Apache pilots. The M-DSA is also an upgrade to the helicopter's Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor.

"We are currently fielding laser kits as part of the M-DSA Phase 1 upgrade and are on track to equip approximately seven Apache battalions a year," said Matt Hoffman, M-TADS/PNVS director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

Lockheed Martin is on contract to the Army to produce and deliver 786 M-LRFD kits. More than 200 kits have been delivered to the U.S. Army to date.

In addition, Lockheed Martin says its second-phase M-DSA upgrades are ready for production. The upgrades will enable Apache pilots to see high-resolution, near-infrared and color imagery on cockpit displays and includes a new laser pointer/marker.