Textron to provide Shadow unmanned aircraft and tactical data link retrofits

Feb. 9, 2016
Textron Systems Corp. will provide new RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground-control systems under terms of a $97.1 million contract modification.

Textron Systems Corp. will provide new RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground-control systems under terms of a $97.1 million contract modification. Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., awarded the contract modification to the Textron Systems Unmanned Systems segment (formerly AAI Corp.) in Hunt Valley, Md., for fiscal 2014 Shadow drone full-rate production VII in support of the Army and U.S. Marine Corps. This contract modification increases the value of the original contract, awarded last April, to $176.6 million. The contract modification calls for Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft system, tactical data link retrofit for full-rate production VII. The Army's fiscal year 2014 budget request called for buying 25 Shadow unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The catapult-launched Shadow 200 tactical UAS provides Army and Marine Corps brigade commanders with reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and assessment. The aircraft can see targets from as far away as 78 miles from the brigade tactical operations center, and recognize tactical vehicles from altitudes as high as 8,000 feet above the ground at more than two miles slant range, day or night.

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