US Army Orders 424 M1117 and 10 M1200 Armored Vehicles

Released on Monday, September 15, 2008

New Orleans, LA - September 15, 2008 - Textron Marine & Land Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has been awarded $313 million in contract modifications by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) to manufacture 424 additional M1117 Armored Security Vehicles (ASV) and 10 ASV variants for the M1200 Armored Knight program.

"Our customer has again chosen the ASV to protect soldiers," said Tom Walmsley, general manager, Textron Marine & Land Systems. "Our partnership with TACOM has allowed these vehicles to be delivered with the latest fragmentation protection kits, improving the system survivability even more." The ASV has been in continuous combat for more than five years with an organic Operational Readiness Rate consistently greater than 90 percent.

With this award, the total number of ASVs produced or under contract with the U.S. Army is now 2579 vehicles. Production and deliveries of the ASV continue at the normal production rate of 48 vehicles a month with firm contracts through April 2010.

The ASV is a highly mobile wheeled combat vehicle with 360 degree armor protection against small arms fire that can withstand anti-tank land mines under any wheel and artillery burst fragments overhead.

The M1200 Armored Knight is an ASV variant equipped with a sensor package used to locate and designate targets for indirect fire and laser guided weapons. The specially configured ASV is used by Field Artillery Combat Observation and Lasing Teams (COLT) to carry out its missions.

"We're excited to be awarded this contract extension to manufacture additional ASVs for the M1200 Armored Knight and provide even more protection and mobility to our soldiers," said Tom Walmsley.

ASVs will be provided to DRS Technologies, the prime contractor for the Armored Knight responsible for the integration of the sensor and Mission Equipment Package. The total requirement for the program has been listed at 531 vehicles. The total number of ASVs produced or under contract with the U.S. Army for the Armored Knight Program to date is 199 vehicles.