The Astronics DME Corp. Airfield Lighting Systems & NavAids segment in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will use advanced LED lighting to replace taxiway light fixtures at Air Force bases in the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii under terms of a potential $7.4 million five-year contract announced Thursday. LED lighting experts from Astronics DME will begin the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) airport lighting contract immediately by replacing 600 lights in a $72,000 order.

Astronics DME Airfield Lighting Systems designs and builds airfield taxiway and runway lights, including state-of-the-art LED fixtures, such as the blue LED omni-directional taxiway edge light to delineate the edges of airport taxiways, holding bays, and aprons; quartz lights for runway edge and non-precision instrument-flight-rules (IFR) runways; quartz high intensity runway lights for runway edges, thresholds, displaced thresholds, and precision IFR runways; and elevated runway guard lights with dual alternating yellow light signals to enhance the visibility of taxiway holding positions at entrances to runways.

Replacing existing airport light fixtures with LED lighting should save energy and lower the Air Force's air base lifecycle maintenance and replacement costs, explains Peter Gundermann, the Astronics Corp. president and chief executive officer. "We also expect that other airfield lighting, specifically runways, will eventually move to LED technology," Gundermann says.

Astronics DME Airfield Lighting Systems & NavAids also designs and builds aircraft approach and navigational aids systems, navigational aids lighting, elevated lights, guidance signs, heliport lights, in-pavement lights, markers, obstruction lights, power and control equipment, solar lights, temporary lights, tools and accessories, and tower equipment.