Whitley firm shares big defense contract

Published: December 5, 2012 3:00 a.m.

Whitley firm shares big defense contract

Staff, news services

Erapsco Inc. has been awarded a $71.1 million contract for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday evening.

The company will make 83,500 sonobuoy sensors that detect, classify and locate other countries’ submarines during combat and peacetime operations. The order exercises an option from a previously announced contract. The work is expected to be completed by January 2015.

Erapsco is a 50-50 partnership between Undersea Sensor Systems Inc. of Columbia City and Sparton Electronics Inc. of DeLeon Springs, Fla. The contract calls for 59 percent of the work to be done in Columbia City and the rest in DeLeon Springs.