Honeywell [HON] has been awarded two contracts worth a combined $221 million to continue its support of the Army’s M1 Abrams tank program.
“Honeywell’s integrated approach to support for the Abrams fleet of tanks incorporates demand and supplier management, product support, and condition-based maintenance to reduce our customers’ life-cycle costs,” said Tom Davis, vice president, Honeywell, U.S. Army Programs. “When combined with the Department of Defense’s significant investment in infrastructure and its hands-on repair and overhaul experience, the Honeywell and Army enterprise team delivers higher-quality, more reliable AGT1500 engines for the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and international customers.”
Honeywell’s AGT1500 vehicular gas turbine engine is the proven power source for the M1 Abrams and provides the tank with power and torque, low noise, and smokeless operation, contributing to the tank’s unmatched combat performance.
The first contract is a $111 million, 18-month follow-on agreement through December 2013 for continuation of the Total InteGrated Engine Revitalization (TIGER) program, collaboration between Honeywell, the U.S. Army’s Abrams Project Management Office, the Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), and the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD).
This contract continues to leverage Honeywell’s expertise in maintenance and product improvement for the AGT1500 M1 Abrams engine to extend operational life and reduce life-cycle costs for the Abrams tank, the company said in an Oct. 23 statement.
The second contract, valued at $110 million, is for the production of 125 new Honeywell AGT1500 engines from September 2012 through October 2015. This contract extends Honeywell’s relationship with ANAD in Alabama where new AGT1500 engines are assembled and tested.
Honeywell’s TIGER program provides comprehensive maintenance and continuous improvements to the battle-proven AGT1500 engine, which results in enhanced durability and lower operational costs for Abrams tank operators, the company statement said.