Wilmington, MA - July 19, 2004 - Textron Systems announced today that it has made its first international sale of the Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW). The quantity was not disclosed under the terms of this Foreign Military Sale. Also known as CBU-105, SFW is a smart weapon that can effectively destroy multiple moving or stationary armored vehicles while leaving no hazardous unexploded ordinance on the battlefield.
The Sensor Fuzed Weapon received worldwide recognition when it made its first combat drop on April 1, 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. First hand accounts from Air Force personnel describe how 2 SFWs destroyed one-third of an Iraqi tank column that was threatening a Marine division, and how the remaining Iraqi tank commanders immediately surrendered.
Tom Harrington, vice president, air launched weapons, Textron Systems said, "This sale of SFW is very significant for Textron Systems as it is the company's fist international sale of the system as well as demonstrates the international community's recognition of SFW's recent success in Operation Iraqi Freedom."
The SFW contains 10 BLU-108 Submunitions. Each BLU-108 has 4 cylinder-shaped anti-armor penetratrors called Skeets for a total of 40 lethal Skeets per weapon. As single SFW can cover up to 30 acres or 121,000 square meters. The weapon can be deployed from a number of aircraft including A-10, B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15 and F-16. In order to prevent hazardous unexploded ordnance, each Skeet is designed with two self-destruct modes in the event that it fails to engage a qualified target. If for any reason the redundant self-destruct mechanisms fail, each Skeet contains a self-deactivation feature that renders the weapon harmless minutes after deployment.
About Textron Systems
www.systems.textron.com
Textron Systems Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., 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.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in 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. More information is available at http://www.textron.com.