WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Textron AirLand, LLC, a joint venture between Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) and AirLand Enterprises, LLC, today announced that its Scorpion aircraft has completed operations in support of VIGILANT GUARD 2014, a Northern Command and Kansas National Guard training exercise demonstrating the capabilities of emergency response agencies at all levels of government, both military and civil. With over 2,000 local, state, and federal personnel participating, Scorpion provided color High Definition multi-spectral aerial reconnaissance full motion video and communications with other aircraft and ground stations from 4-6 August 2014. Demonstrating a 100% mission availability rate, Scorpion supported rapidly changing events on the ground, providing the Joint Task Force Commander crucial incident awareness to dynamically re-task surveillance and first responder teams as the complex disaster relief scenarios evolved.
Integration of the Helmet Mounted Cueing System (HMCS) enabled Textron AirLand’s Mission Commander, Andy Vaughan, also a Traditional Guardsman and A-10C pilot, to maintain eyes on target while managing the Electro Optical and Infra Red sensor for optimal full-motion imagery downlink feed to the Kansas Air National Guard 184th Intelligence Wing Geospatial Operations Analysis Team. With Scorpion’s video feed, the 184th IW was able to create and disseminate 30 complex intelligence assessment products to the 35th Infantry Division Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and Joint Task Force Commander for decisive and efficient command and control of first responder personnel. “It was great to start operationally testing Scorpion at home in Kansas in real-world scenarios and provide validation that our aircraft design and performance goals are exactly what we had hoped for,” stated Vaughan after completing the VIGILANT GUARD missions. Scorpion participated in a variety of scenarios which included a simulated train derailment, chemical spill, infrastructure damage, medical evacuations and recovery operations. These activities were coordinated daily with Army North Command and Northern Command operations staff.
Only eight months after first flight and having just returned from its international debut in Europe, Scorpion continues to demonstrate the reliability of its commercial best-practices development heritage and proven systems integration to perform these Air National Guard Title 10 and 32 missions and validate its efficient operating economics. With an affordable acquisition and operating cost, Scorpion’s value proposition and diverse multi-mission integration capabilities are unmatched by other aircraft platforms.
For a closer look at the Scorpion and its multi-mission capabilities, please visit www.ScorpionJet.com. Downloadable images and videos of recent test flights are available in the Scorpion Media Gallery.
About Textron
Textron is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
About Textron AirLand, LLC
Textron AirLand, LLC is a joint venture between Textron Inc. and AirLand Enterprises, LLC with the purpose of designing and manufacturing an affordable, capable jet platform based on commercially available technologies and processes for the tactical military jet aviation market. More information about our initial aircraft is available at www.ScorpionJet.com.
About AirLand Enterprises, LLC
AirLand Enterprises, LLC was formed by a group of experienced aerospace and defense executives dedicated to bringing an effective, low-cost, ISR/Strike jet to domestic and international military markets, replacing aging aircraft and complimenting high-end multi-role fighters.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of research and development investments to develop new products or unanticipated expenses in connection with the launching of significant new products or programs; the timing of our new product launches or certifications of our new aircraft products; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in foreign military funding priorities or budget constraints and determinations; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of military products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; performance issues with key suppliers or subcontractors; and continued demand softness or volatility in the markets in which we do business.
