Textron Marine & Land Systems Awarded Contract Option for Additional Afghanistan National Army Armored Vehicles

New Orleans, LA -- Textron Marine & Land Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. company, announced today that it received an option award from the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., for 64 additional Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV) for the Afghanistan National Army (ANA).

The additional vehicles are added to the current Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) and have a not-to-exceed value of $71.7 million, with deliveries scheduled by February 2013. Three variants will be produced: MSFV with enclosed Turret; MSFV with Objective Gunner Protection Kit; and MSFV ambulance. Vehicle production will be performed at Textron Marine & Land Systems' facilities in the New Orleans area.

Mobile Strike Force Vehicles are derived from the combat-proven M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), and 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 it to meet MRAP blast protection standards.

Reliability and supportability of these vehicles for the ANA is reinforced by a Total Package Fielding concept, which includes technical manuals, spares, and comprehensive operator and maintenance training.

Textron Marine & Land Systems, in June 2011, was awarded full-rate production for 240 MSFVs along with associated support equipment, spare parts, field service representatives, training and training aids. Initial deliveries of these vehicles into Afghanistan are underway.

"These highly mobile, powerful and well-protected vehicles will play an important role in the Afghanistan government's ability to address threats and defend its people," explains Tom Walmsley, TM&LS senior vice president and general manager. "Our Afghanistan-based team of trainers and field service representatives are working closely with the U.S. Army's Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Coalition Forces to prepare ANA Mobile Strike Force units to take full advantage of the MSFV's capabilities."

Textron Marine & Land Systems has delivered more than 3,600 M1117 ASVs and related configurations to the U.S. Army, as well as additional armored vehicles to military and police forces in 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. Through February of this year, Textron Marine & Land Systems also has achieved 78 consecutive months of on-time ASV deliveries to the U.S. Army.