Textron Marine & Land, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. company, has been awarded a $2.8 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command to build four Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. These initial military vehicles will be delivered within 60 days for comprehensive testing. The Government may order up to 4,100 MRAP production vehicles for the Marines and other services. Several other companies were also awarded contracts to build their test vehicles.
“It’s an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract,” said Tom Walmsley, senior vice president and general manager of Textron Marine & Land. Textron will build two test vehicles for each of the two different categories of vehicles, a six-person and a ten-person vehicle. “Our solution for these combat vehicles is based on our highly successful Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) now being produced for the U.S. Army.”
The M1117 ASV is used by the U.S. Army for its military vehicle police and convoy protection, and for Combat Observing and Lasing Teams. Its record of performance, reliability and survivability in the field is impeccable. More than 650 ASVs have been deployed in the Global War on Terrorism in support of convoy protection and other combat missions. Textron Marine & Land is currently on contract for more than 1360 vehicles.
Production and deliveries of the ASV are ongoing at Textron Marine & Land facilities in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana. The company has responded to urgent U.S. Army requirements over the past three years by increasing production from one ASV every three weeks to the present 48 vehicles per month. The manufacturing facilities have expanded to five buildings and personnel have more than doubled.
The ASV is a 4X4 wheeled armored vehicle that offers exceptional 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 allows the vehicle to be able to “roll-on/roll-off” C-130 military transport aircraft.
Textron Marine & Land has equipped the U.S. Army Military Police version 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, command and recovery.
Textron Systems Corporation provides innovative technology solutions to meet the needs of the defense, homeland security and aerospace communities. The company is known for its precision smart weapons, surveillance systems, complex intelligence and communications systems, aircraft control components, piston engines, specialty marine craft and armored vehicles.
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