| New
Orleans, LA - February 14, 2008 - Textron Marine & Land Systems
(TM&LS), an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT)
company, has been selected for a Phase II contract by the Office of Naval Research
(ONR) to continue development of the Sea Base Connector, Transformable Craft (T-Craft). Work
on Phase II of the T-Craft development will be performed by a team of world-class
organizations in the advanced marine vehicle industry, lead by TM&LS in New
Orleans, Louisiana. Work is expected to start on the project early in 2008. T-Craft
is one of several innovative naval prototypes being developed by ONR to support
the broad objectives of the U.S. Navy's Sea Base program. Its mission is to self-deploy
from an intermediate support base to a sea base area of operations. Once on site,
the T-Craft will take cargo, consisting primarily of wheeled and tracked vehicles,
from the sea base to the shore line without the use of port facilities. The transit
will be made at high speed, and will end with the delivery of cargo "feet
dry" on the beach in a wide range of sea conditions and terrain. During
a Phase I study, the TM&LS team developed a preliminary design of a craft
that can operate as a catamaran at low speed, a surface effect ship at high speed,
and as a fully amphibious air cushion vehicle for cargo discharge. In addition,
the air cushion is used to provide a powerful motion control system to stabilize
the T-Craft during cargo transfer operations at the sea base.
About
Textron Systems
Textron Systems Corporation (Textron Systems) has
been providing innovative solutions to the defense, homeland security and aerospace
communities for over 50 years. Known for its precision smart weapons, intelligent
battlefield systems, surveillance systems, intelligence software solutions, aircraft
control components, piston engines, armored vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems,
Textron Systems includes AAI, HR Textron, Lycoming Engines, Overwatch Tactical
Operations, Overwatch Geospatial Operations, Textron Defense Systems, and Textron
Marine & Land Systems. Textron Systems Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Avco Corporation. Avco Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron
Inc. More information is available at www.textronsystems.com.
About
Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company
operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees. The company leverages
its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers
with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for
its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen,
Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron
Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.
Media Contacts:
David Whitaker
Textron Marine
& Land Systems
(504) 254-6795
dwhitaker@tmls.textron.com | 
