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June 10, 2009
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Tom Walmsley, general manager of Textron Marine & Land Systems, presents the 2000th ASV to Lt. Col. Kent Moorhouse at a ceremony to mark the milestone.
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The 2,000th Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) rolled off the assembly line of Textron Marine & Land Systems’ facility in Slidell, Louisiana last Tuesday to cheers from the employees, local residents and representatives from the U.S. Army and the local government.
“This is a milestone in Textron history,” said Frank Tempesta, the president and CEO of Textron Systems, of which Textron Marine & Land Systems (TMLS) is an operating unit.
The 4X4 wheeled armored vehicle is made up of multiple layers of armor, offering significant crew protection that defends against small arms fire, artillery projectile fragments, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and land mines. Despite its size, the ASV possesses superior mobility, agility, handling and ride quality through a four-wheel independent suspension system.
The ASV remains “safe, suitable and effective” for the soldiers, says Col. Scott Kidd, the U.S. Army project manager, tactical vehicles. “The production of the 2000th unit is significant, reflecting the relevance of the system and the ability of the Textron workforce to produce a high-quality product,” he adds.
The ASV has maintained exceptional operational readiness and combat availability rates over the life of the U.S. Army program as vehicles log more than 30,000 miles per year in combat operations.
TMLS has been building ASVs in the New Orleans area for the U.S. Army since 1999, and the commitment to building the highest-quality vehicles for the customer has always been very strong. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, TMLS briefly suspended production, but the employees were back at work in less than three months. By 2006, TMLS was producing 48 ASVs per month for the U.S. Army.
In fact, TMLS has recorded 44 consecutive months of 100 percent on-time delivery.
“This ASV program has been outstanding because of the dedication of the people here at Textron Marine & Land Systems who put their efforts into making the best vehicle possible for our troops,” says Tom Walmsley, the general manager of TMLS.
“The vehicle designed and built here has protected thousands of soldiers doing their duty in operations all over the world. That is what we’re about here,” Walmsley says. “Every soldier that returns home to his or her family because he or she was in an ASV is a triumph for every employee here working on this program.”
The ASV family of vehicles performs a wide variety of missions including scout, infantry personnel carrier, reconnaissance, command and control and recovery. U.S. Army ASV missions include operations with the Military Police, convoy protection, perimeter security as well as Field Artillery Combat Observation and Lasing Teams (COLT).
In addition to the production of the ASV, TMLS is a world leader in the design, production, and support of advanced marine craft. Marine products include conventional hulled rescue and patrol boats, surface effect ships and air cushion vehicles.
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