Textron unit wins $11.9M Army Guard contract

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – The Army National Guard has awarded a $11.9 million contract to Textron subsidiary AAI Corp. to support training of Guard units that are operating advanced tactical unmanned aircraft systems.
The contract has a total potential value of $31.1 million if the Army continues it for four option years. The initial order includes 25 high-fidelity Shadow Crew Trainers and interactive multimedia instruction.
In a statement, Bob Peters, AAI’s vice president of training, said the training support “will help National Guard Warfighters increase readiness by enabling them to train without dedicated airspace and operational equipment at armories and Regional Flight Training Centers.
“The capability to sustain readiness is critical to the Army National Guard’s mission, whether in support of the global war on terror, border security, or response to natural disasters here at home,” Peters said.
The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation in Orlando, Fla.
AAI is an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. company that sells aerospace and defense systems. Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company employing 44,000 people in 34 countries. Its brands include Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Co., Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee and Textron Financial Corp., among others. Additional information is available at www.textron.com.