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New Orleans, LA -
April 22, 2008 - Textron Marine
& Land Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems,
a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, the Red River Army Depot
and the U.S. Army celebrated the first refurbished M1117 Armored
Security Vehicle in a joint roll out ceremony. The first vehicle
roll out was part of the contract modification awarded in
October 2007 by the United States Army Tank Automotive and
Armaments Command (TACOM) for a pilot program to reset five
M1117 Armored Security Vehicles (ASV).
The ceremony on April
8 celebrated the public-private venture teaming Textron Marine
& Land Systems (TMLS) and the Red River Army Depot (RRAD).
The reset process takes ASVs that have been in the field for
a lengthy period of time or have battle damage and restores
them to combat-ready status with the latest vehicle configurations.
In this venture, TMLS acts as the prime contractor to provide
material, technical data, and program management, while the
Red River Army Depot contributes labor and facilities to complete
the reset. Work for this program takes place in Texarkana,
Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
"This is a significant
event for the war fighter," said Tom Walmsley, senior
vice president and general manager of Textron Marine &
Land Systems. "It allows heavily used equipment to be
made 'like new' and provides extended life for the ASV without
the cost burden of purchasing new equipment."
Data collected from
the pilot effort will allow the Army to efficiently and effectively
determine the size, scope and affordability of the total ASV
reset operation.
About the ASV
The ASV is a 4X4 wheeled armored vehicle
that offers significant crew protection through the employment
of multiple layers of armor that provides defense against
small arms fire, artillery projectile fragments, and land
mines. This advanced armor is exceedingly lightweight and,
along with its dimensions, allows the vehicle to be able to
"roll-on/roll-off" C-130 military transport aircraft.
The ASV possesses superior mobility, agility, handling, and
ride quality through the utilization of a four-wheel independent
suspension system. Textron Marine & Land has equipped
the M1117 ASV with a specially designed dual-weapon station
that, unlike many other vehicles, enables the crew to load,
reload and clear gun jams under full armor protection.
With minor modifications and appropriate
outfitting, ASV variants can perform a wide variety of missions
including scout, infantry personnel carrier, reconnaissance,
and command and recovery. Current missions of the ASV include
operations with the Military Police, convoy protection, and
Field Artillery Combat Observation and Lasing Teams (COLT).
Its record of performance, reliability and survivability in
the field is impeccable. More than 1000 ASVs have been deployed
in the U.S. Army operations around the globe. Textron Marine
& Land has built more than 1,300 vehicles to date.
About Textron Systems
Textron Systems Corporation 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 Geospatial Operations, Overwatch Tactical Operations,
Textron Defense Systems, and Textron Marine & Land Systems.
Textron Systems Corporation is an indirect 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
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