Textron signs UAS contract with US Navy for additional naval ship

Textron Systems Corporation has been awarded a task order valued at up to $17 million by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to provide COCO unmanned aerial system (UAS) services to a U.S. Navy ship deploying to the 6th Fleet. 

Textron Systems will deploy its Aerosonde UAS and personnel to provide mission overwatch and extended range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services with enhanced mission payloads.

In September, Textron Systems was contracted to provide support to three additional littoral combat ships (LCS).

This award brings the total number of U.S. Navy ships supported by the Aerosonde UAS to 11.

“Textron Systems is committed to enhancing the Navy’s mission sets. The continued use of ISR support demonstrates the benefit of the COCO model and the services our Aerosonde UAS provides to the sailor,” said David Phillips, Senior Vice President Air, Land and Sea Systems. 

“The flexibility in a COCO mission allows the Navy to extend their capabilities while we as the contractor manage the full life cycle of the system, ultimately resulting in greater efficiency and reliability.”

According to the company, the Aerosonde UAS offers multi-mission capability built upon a family of systems which have amassed over 700,000 flight hours over more than 10 years.

The system is equipped for multiple payload configurations with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing options.