NEW ORLEANS, June 13, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Textron Marine & Land Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today it received a third option award from the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., for 71 Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV) for the Afghanistan National Army (ANA). These vehicles were added to the current contract and have a not-to-exceed value of $79,182,680.
Work will be performed at Textron Marine & Land Systems' facilities in the New Orleans area, with vehicle deliveries scheduled through October 2013. Three variants are being produced: MSFV with enclosed turret; MSFV with objective gunner protection kit; and an MSFV ambulance.
Textron Marine & Land Systems (TM&LS), in May 2011, received an award for full-rate production of 240 MSFVs along with associated support equipment, spare parts, field service representatives, training and training aids. With this new option award, TM&LS is processing orders for 200 vehicles – from three option awards – in addition to the 240 vehicles in the initial full-rate production order. The company also manufactured 18 test MSFVs and 41 low-rate initial production vehicles in 2011, for a total of 499 vehicles ordered to-date.
Mobile Strike Force Vehicles began arriving into Afghanistan in February. Soon after, comprehensive operator new equipment training of a first ANA battalion, called a Kandak, commenced. The first Kandak has completed this phase of training and has begun mounted and dismounted tactics training with NATO forces. With the training and sign over of vehicles to the ANA, the program has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on schedule.
"In less than two years our dedicated employees, together with the U.S. Army's Product Manager Armored Security Vehicles, have developed, tested, built and started fielding an essential capability for the Afghanistan National Army's security mission," explained Tom Walmsley, TM&LS senior vice president and general manager. "This level of cooperation has enabled our team to quickly and efficiently produce more than 200 MSFVs to date, field the first ANA Kandak, and prepare the next Kandak to train on its fleet of vehicles."
Derived from the combat-proven M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), all MSFVs are configured with Enhanced Survivability (ES) capability, which improves blast protection to mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) levels. The ES-equipped vehicles continue to possess the ASV's original, all-important V-shaped hull design, in addition to innovative protection design features that enable them to meet MRAP blast protection standards.
Textron Marine & Land Systems has delivered nearly 3,900 M1117 ASVs and related configurations to the U.S. Army and other military forces including Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia and Bulgaria. These vehicles have consistently achieved exceptional operational readiness and combat availability rates greater than 90 percent over the life of the U.S. Army program. Textron Marine & Land Systems also has maintained on-time ASV deliveries to the U.S. Army since the ramp up to rate production in 2005.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in worldwide economic or political conditions that impact demand for our products, interest rates or foreign exchange rates; changes in foreign military funding priorities or budget constraints and determinations, or changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of military and commercial products; our ability to perform as anticipated and to control costs under contracts with the U.S. Government; the U.S. Government's ability to unilaterally modify or terminate its contracts with us for the U.S. Government's convenience or for our failure to perform; performance issues with key suppliers, subcontractors or business partners; and the risk that vehicle delivery schedules will change or that orders will be cancelled.
Media Contact:
Sharon Corona
Textron Systems Corporation
(410) 628-3184
About Textron Marine & Land Systems
Textron Marine & Land Systems designs, produces and supports advanced wheeled combat vehicles and cutting-edge maritime craft used by U.S. and international armed forces, as well as civilian entities around the globe. Its family of Armored Security Vehicles offers enhanced survivability and highly mobile combat security vehicles with unmatched capabilities. Textron Marine & Land Systems' innovative turret technology and related subsystems also deliver outstanding performance and reliability. Its strategic business, MillenWorks, operates an Engineering Center of Excellence with a reputation as a highly sought-after solution center, which designs and develops advanced mobility solutions for demanding on- and off-road applications. Textron Marine & Land Systems is an operating unit of Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textronmarineandland.com.
About Textron Systems
Textron Systems has been providing innovative solutions to the defense, homeland security and aerospace communities for more than 50 years. Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., the company is known for its unmanned aircraft systems, advanced marine craft, armored vehicles, intelligent battlefield and surveillance systems, intelligence software solutions, precision smart weapons, piston engines, test and training systems, and total life cycle sustainment and operational services. Textron Systems includes AAI Logistics & Technical Services, AAI Test & Training, AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Advanced Systems, Aerosonde, ESL Defence, Lycoming Engines, Medical Numerics, MillenWorks, Overwatch, Textron Defense Systems and Textron Marine & Land Systems. More information is available at www.textronsystems.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, 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, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
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The following pictures are available for download:
| [Image] | Mobile Strike Force Vehicles in Afghanistan |
| [Image] | Mobile Strike Force Vehicles-1st Kandak Panoramic |