$129.4M for more M1117 Guardian ASVs - from New Orleans Firm
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Modifications, Events, Other Corporation, Tanks & Mechanized
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Textron Marine & Land Systems in New Orleans, LA was awarded on Aug. 31, 2005, a $129.4 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for M1117 “Guardian” Armored Security Vehicles, which are well regarded by military police in Iraq as improved alternatives to the up-armored Hummers. See this post for key DID coverage of the M1117, and we also have a link for all of DID’s M1117 ASV-related coverage.
Even before this modification, contracts from the US military had already exceeded 1,000 M1117s at aproximately $700,000 per vehicle. Bell Textron subsidiary Cadillac Gage was working hard to ramp production back up and cope with this flood of orders, after pre-war budget cuts in 2002 had put a large crimp in the program. Unfortunately, this flood of orders has now been followed by a flood of a different kind. Work on all M1117 contracts is performed at Textron Marine & Land Systems sole location… New Orleans, LA.
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The corporate recovery status page states, however, that “At this time, no TM&L employee should attempt to travel to the facilities, until they are deemed safe.” That could take quite a while, and may push this and other M1117-related contracts past the target end date. This particular contract was originally intended to be complete on June 30, 2007, and was a sole source contract initiated on June 14, 2005 by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (W56HZV-05-C-0470).
UPDATE: Textron managed to ramp up its production post-Katrina. See the USA Today May 5, 2006 article “Textron Fought Storm to Deliver for Army,” and also this April 3, 2006 corporate statement noting that they are on target to meet the goal of producing 48 vehicles per month by August 2006.
