Textron Systems gets contract to support US Navy’s UAS ops

Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron company, has been awarded a contract by the US Navy to provide continued UAS operations support for the  Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4).

The contract, valued at up to $18.3 million, is awarded by the US Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Under this contract, the company will continue to deploy its Aerosonde UAS to provide maritime operations aboard the ESB-4.

The company’s personnel work alongside sailors to provide on-demand Aerosonde UAS operations to support a variety of maritime missions.

Serving multiple US Department of Defense (DoD) with contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) UAS services alongside military users, the Aerosonde system has amassed more than 550,000 flight hours in some of the world’s most austere and challenging environments, according to the company.

This has allowed end-users to implement new features, payloads and enhancements as needed to support the missions.

“Our shipboard customers need UAS solutions that can deliver actionable data from multiple mission payloads without sacrificing valuable space on deck,” said Senior Vice President, Air Systems, Wayne Prender.

“It’s equally important that we create a strong support ecosystem to keep availability and reliability rates high as operational tempo demands.”

The one-year base contract includes two 12-month options and two six-month options, for a total potential performance period of four years. The company was originally selected to support the ESB-4 in 2018.

Textron Systems’ UAS operators also support US Navy DDG-class warships with the Aerosonde UAS, as well as land-based COCO activities.

In February this year, Textron Systems unveiled a new, innovative solution called the surface effect cargo amphibious transport (SECAT), for US Navy’s expeditionary warfare logistics.