Textron Aviation announced it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL, for Cessna SkyCourier, Cessna Grand Caravan EX, Beechcraft King Air 360 and Beechcraft King Air 260 turboprop aircraft in support of Foreign Military Sales (FMS). The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract allows up to $100 million U.S. dollars for the acquisition of Textron Aviation aircraft over a five-year period. The Cessna SkyCourier, Cessna Grand Caravan EX and Beechcraft King Air are designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company. The initial award is for three King Air 360 Extended Range (KA360ER) aircraft, of which two are destined for the Peruvian Naval Aviation Force (Fuerza de Aviación Naval) and one for the Ecuadorian Naval Aviation (Aviación Naval Ecuatoriana). All three of the initial King Air turboprops awarded will perform maritime patrol to enforce the sovereignty of Peru and Ecuador over their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).
“This IDIQ aligns with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent tasking memo directing improvement and acceleration of DOD’s institutional processes to execute FMS cases. It 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. We are honored the U.S. Army created this multiyear IDIQ contract with Textron Aviation, which provides the ability to rapidly procure COTS aircraft and modification for FMS allies and partner nations,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales for Textron Aviation.
The Cessna 408 SkyCourier is an American utility aircraft designed and built by Textron Aviation. The SkyCourier is a twin-turboprop, high-wing aircraft, available with a 19-passenger accommodation, or in a cargo variant sized for three LD3s. The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Textron Aviation. By 2022, 3,000 had been delivered and 24 million flight hours have been logged. Caravans have been used for flight training, commuter airlines, VIP transport, air cargo, and humanitarian missions. 208B Grand Caravan EX is a marketing name for upgraded version of the 208B Caravan certified in December 2012, with a more powerful 867 hp (647 kW) Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-140. The Beechcraft King Air is a line of American utility aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air was the first aircraft in its class and was produced continuously from 1964 to 2023. It outsold all of its turboprop competitors combined.
For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation has empowered collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special missions, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable, productive and flexible flight. 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, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems.
