Textron affiliate lands Shadow aircraft contract

PROVIDENCE – An affiliate of Textron Inc., the world’s biggest maker of business jets through its Cessna unit, has an order from the U.S. Army to build 14 unmanned aircraft.
The contract for the Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems is valued at as much as $153.4 million, United Industrial Corp. said last week in a statement. United Industrial is 85 percent owned by Textron and will become a unit when a pending merger is complete.
Shadow aircraft are being used in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Last week’s contract includes immediate funding of $75.2 million. Textron agreed to acquire United Industrial for about $1.1 billion in October to expand sales of unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to the military.