Textron Systems Awarded U.S. Army Contract for 212 More Armored Security Vehicles to Protect Troops in Iraq

December 22, 2004

Wilmington, MA - December 22, 2004 - Textron Marine & Land (TM&L) of New Orleans, Louisiana, an operating unit of Textron Systems Corporation, today announced that it has been awarded a contract modification by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) to manufacture an additional 212 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles (ASV). All 212 vehicles have been designated for use by the U.S. Army and are potentially worth up to $155 million, subject to final contract terms. The newly contracted 212 vehicles are scheduled to be delivered by April 2006.

Textron Systems president Dick Millman said "We are proud to be building high quality armored vehicles that provide outstanding protection for our soldiers fighting in Iraq. We have already significantly increased our production rate and, with this order, will achieve a rate of 36 vehicles a month by the 4th quarter of next year. We've been working closely with the Army since the summer to more quickly get these important vehicles to our soldiers and are nearing completion of the investments needed to increase capacity."

Textron Marine & Land, based in New Orleans, has been making changes to its production line, expanding its manufacturing space and hiring the necessary workforce. "We hired more than 180 new employees to get the production lines ready for this contract," said B. Clay Moise, Textron Marine & Land vice president of marine and combat vehicles. "And we anticipate hiring 200 more employees by this time next year," added Moise. "The company has been building and expanding facilities to meet our customers' needs."

"The Army has had all available ASVs in Iraq for some time, protecting our soldiers. We have received numerous thank you letters from soldiers who have survived enemy attack and have come out of the incidents unharmed. It's a rewarding and humbling experience to be a part of manufacturing such a powerful lifesaving tool," Moise added.

About the ASV

The ASV is a 4x4 wheeled armored vehicle that offers exceptional crew protection with multiple layers of armor that provide defense against medium caliber armor-piercing machine gun fire, large artillery fragments, and land mines. This advanced armor is exceedingly lightweight and allows the vehicle to be able to "roll on/roll off" military transport aircraft. The ASV possesses superior mobility, agility, handling and ride quality through the utilization of a new all-wheel independent suspension. Textron's Cadillac Gage has equipped the ASV with a specially designed dual-weapon station that, unlike many other vehicles, enables all ammunition reload to be performed under armor and allows the crew to remain protected from enemy fire.

About Textron Systems www.systems.textron.com

Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron company, provides innovative technology solutions to meet the needs of the global aerospace and defense industries. The company supports military precision engagement and dominant maneuver with strike weapons, mobility and surveillance systems. The Textron name is well known in the areas of advanced weapons, surveillance systems, aircraft control components, specialty marine craft and armored vehicles.

About Textron Inc. www.textron.com

Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in nearly 40 countries. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, 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 Aircraft, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others.

Connect with Textron IR

David Rosenberg, Vice President, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288
Kyle Williams, Manager, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288

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