Textron Systems Delivers First MMLS Lot to the Italian Ministry of Defense

24 July 2000

Textron Systems Delivers First MMLS Lot to the Italian Ministry of Defense

    WILMINGTON, Mass. - Textron Systems announced today that it delivered its first Mobile Microwave Landing System to the Italian Ministry of Defense. The delivery included one set of MMLS ground equipment, field spares, depot spares and technical equipment manuals. Italy is the first European NATO country to obtain the MMLS, a ground-based, precision approach and landing system, capable of supporting rapid deployment missions.

    Acceptance testing, completed in the United States, was witnessed by Col. Oscar Damiani of the MoD's Teledife Procurement Branch. Also in attendance was Mr. Antonio Marra of Marconi S.p.A., Rome, Italy. Textron Systems is teamed with Marconi S.p.A. for installation, maintenance, logistics and warranty support of its mobile microwave landing systems.

    "We are extremely pleased to be providing this unique capability to the Italian MoD and consider this the first of many future deliveries into the international marketplace," said Tom Harrington, Vice President of International Military Products at Textron Systems. Additional MMLS deliveries to Italy are expected in July and September 2000.

    Textron Systems' sale of five Mobile Microwave Landing Systems to the Italian MoD signifies the first such order for this U.S. military-developed system to an international customer. The company has delivered a total of thirty-seven systems to the United States Air Force for deployment worldwide. According to Harrington, "Mobile Microwave Landing Systems offer the Italian Ministry of Defense the unique ability to meet the operational requirements of both its Air Force and Army with a single landing system solution and common logistics approach."

    Textron Systems' MMLS is the world's only rapid deployment precision approach and landing system in production today. The MMLS provides a way to quickly establish a precision approach and landing capability in unprepared areas. Used extensively by the U.S. Air Force during the Kosovo crisis, the MMLS is lightweight for easy transportability, can be fully operational in under one hour and provides Category II landing capability for aircraft equipped with MLS avionics.

    Although originally designed for use in unprepared areas, the MMLS is equally efficient in restoring landing services to airports when fixed-base landing capabilities are interrupted. Microwave landing systems are an alternative to Instrument Landing Systems, and solve the problem of interference from high-power FM radio stations and tall structures surrounding airports.

    Textron Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is a leading supplier of advanced systems, components and materials for use in Defense, Aerospace, Automotive and Industrial Applications. Textron is an ISO 9001 registered manufacturer.

    Textron Inc. is an $11.6 billion, global, multi-industry company with market-leading businesses in Aircraft, Automotive, Industrial and Finance. Textron has a workforce of over 68,000 employees and major manufacturing facilities in 30 countries. Textron is among Fortune magazine's "Global Most Admired Companies."