Story ID: 
Textron Aviation Lands U.S. Army Turboprop Contract
By: Jessica Reed
Caption: Textron will provide various turboprop aircraft models to aid Foreign Military Sales
Word Count: 229
Textron Aviation has secured a significant contract with the U.S. Army Contracting Command, stationed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, for the provision of various turboprop aircraft models under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The contract, an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) agreement, could potentially be valued at $100 million over five years. This arrangement will supply Textron Aviation aircraft, including the Cessna SkyCourier, Cessna Grand Caravan EX, and Beechcraft King Air models.
The first order under this contract includes three Beechcraft King Air 360 Extended Range (KA360ER) aircraft. The Peruvian Naval Aviation Force and the Ecuadorian Naval Aviation are the designated recipients, with Peru acquiring two units and Ecuador one. These aircraft will primarily serve maritime patrol duties, safeguarding the exclusive economic zones of these nations.
Bob Gibbs, Textron Aviation's v-p of special mission sales, emphasized the contract's alignment with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's directive to streamline and expedite the Department of Defense's FMS case execution processes. “This IDIQ…will provide highly capable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) aircraft that can be equipped with COTS releasable technology, and it will accelerate acquisition and contracting timelines from many months or years to weeks,” Gibbs said.
Textron Aviation designs and manufactures aircraft for a wide array of special missions. These include air ambulance services, ISR, utility transport, aerial survey, flight inspection, and training.