AAI Test and Training to provide ABE for US Air Force, SOCOM

Hunt Valley, Md. Feb. 8, 2012. AAI Test & Training, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that it has received a $7.7 million Advanced Boresight Equipment (ABE) award from the Defense Logistics Agency to provide 16 Model 310A ABE core test systems for the U.S. Air Force and Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey fleets.

The company has already delivered more than 40 ABE systems to the Air Force supporting more than 10 different aircraft platforms. In addition, SOCOM has utilized AAI Test & Training’s ABE to align its fixed-wing aircraft fleet.

ABE is a gyro-stabilized, electro-optical angular measurement system designed to align aircraft subsystems. Because the ABE system supports concurrent maintenance and does not require aircraft to be jacked and leveled during testing, both depot- and operational-level users can maintain schedules.