U.S. Army Partners with Textron Systems for Next-Gen Shadow® Aircraft Enhancements
Textron Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), announced today that it has secured a contract worth up to $607 million from the U.S. Army. This contract entails providing logistical support, field services, and engineering assistance, as well as retrofitting the existing Shadow® Block II Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) to the enhanced Block III configuration. This award comes after a highly successful Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) of the Block III model conducted by the Army in late 2020.
“We are thrilled to extend our collaboration with the U.S. Army and introduce new capabilities to the Shadow TUAS fleet,” stated Wayne Prender, Senior Vice President of Textron Systems. “We take immense pride in our team, who partner with our customer daily to design, produce, deploy, and maintain this exceptional solution for the Warfighter.”
Work will be carried out at Textron Systems’ facility in Hunt Valley, Md. This initiative will update the current Shadow RQ-7B Block II and lead product support and sustainment operations for the fleet. This funding will facilitate the maintenance of the Shadow Unmanned Aircraft System and offer repairs and spare parts to uphold critical mission readiness of deployed systems. The scheduled effort is set to initiate immediately and will span a five-year timeframe.
The Shadow Block III system builds upon the established success of its predecessors, featuring design enhancements that allow for improved operations in challenging weather conditions. It includes the latest high-definition day-and-night video capabilities, increased engine power and reliability, a diminished acoustic signature, and an advanced communication relay. With these enhancements, the Shadow Block III system is prepared to deliver aerial support to our clients, even in the most demanding environments.
With 1.25 million flight hours and growing, the Shadow system’s reliable history serves as a robust foundation for ongoing development and deployment across the globe.
