Increase Production of Armored Security Vehicles in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Textron Inc, NEW ORLEANS: Textron Marine & Land, an operating unit of Textron Systems, announced today that production and delivery of the company's M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) to the U.S. Army has been fully restored at their facilities in New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana. 
 
Since its first Armored Security Vehicle production contract in 1999, TM&L has achieved a 400 percent production increase. The company was manufacturing as many as 30 ASVs per month prior to hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Although some of the TM&L facilities sustained significant hurricane damage, the company was able to resume production within two months. Since then, it has continued to meet or exceed its post-Katrina revised customer delivery requirements, and is on target to meet the required production rate of 48 ASVs per month by late August 2006. 
 
According to Tom Walmsley, general manager of Textron Marine & Land, “The reaction from our customers, employees, suppliers and congressional leaders has been one of overwhelming support. Each has played an integral role in our efforts to return our production levels to pre-hurricane levels as quickly as possible.” 
 
“Retaining our employees and housing were keys to returning to our pre-Katrina production levels,” explained Walmsley. The company retained more than 90 percent of employees and is back to more than 1150 employees now, the same as before the hurricane. “This is a huge retention rate compared to other New Orleans companies, and is a testament to Textron's commitment to employees and customers.” 
 
Assessment and recovery efforts began immediately after Katrina utilizing resources from other Textron Systems Operating Units as well as Textron and its businesses, including David Brown Union Pumps, Bell Helicopter, and Cessna Aircraft. In addition, Textron and its employees pledged up to $1.25 million for employee and humanitarian aid to those affected by Hurricane Katrina, including a $250,000 grant for a dollar-to-dollar match of employee contributions. 
 
The company continues to provide temporary housing for TM&L workers displaced by the disaster. TM&L is planning to hire up to 350 additional workers in 2006 to support future production of the ASV and other operations at their East New Orleans shipyard facility. Specialty marine craft, such as the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), are also manufactured at the facility for the U.S. Navy. LCACs were deployed last year by the U.S. Navy to deliver supplies for Tsunami relief in Southwest Asia, and in the Gulf Region for Katrina relief. 
 
The ASV is a 4X4 wheeled armored vehicle that offers exceptional crew protection through the employment of multiple layers of armor that provides defense against medium caliber armor-piercing machine gun fire, large artillery projectile fragments, and land mines. This advanced armor is exceedingly lightweight and allows the vehicle to be able to “roll-on/roll-off” C-130 military transport aircraft. 
 
The ASV possesses superior mobility, agility, handling, and ride quality through the utilization of a four-wheel independent suspension system. Textron Cadillac Gage has equipped the U.S. Army Military Police version with a specially designed dual-weapon station that, unlike many other vehicles, enables the crew to load, reload and clear gun jams under full armor protection. With minor modifications and appropriate outfitting, ASV variants include operation as a scout vehicle, infantry personnel carrier, reconnaissance, command and recovery vehicle.  
 
Textron Systems provides innovative technology solutions to meet the needs of the global aerospace and defense industries. The company supports military precision engagement and dominant maneuver with strike weapons, mobility and surveillance systems. The Textron name is well known in the areas of advanced weapons, surveillance systems, aircraft control components, specialty marine craft and armored vehicles. Textron Systems Corporation is a subsidiary of Avco Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Inc.