The Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has awarded a contract valued up to $18.3 million to Textron Systems to provide continued support for the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams.
The work entails UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) operations support for the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, designated ESB-4. The one-year base agreement includes two 12-month options and two six-month options for a total potential performance period of four years.
Textron Systems was originally selected to support the ESB-4 in 2018, and the company will continue to deploy its Aerosonde UAS to provide maritime operations aboard the ESB-4.
“Our shipboard customers need UAS solutions that can deliver actionable data from multiple mission payloads without sacrificing valuable space on deck,” Textron Systems Air Systems Senior Vice President Wayne Prender said. “It’s equally important that we create a strong support ecosystem to keep availability and reliability rates high as operational tempo demands. In continuing to support our ESB-4 customer, we maintain our focus on setting the bar higher and higher in all these areas to keep our sailors informed and out of harm’s way.”
Within a setting that involves working alongside sailors, Textron Systems personnel would offer on-demand Aerosonde UAS operations to support a myriad of maritime missions delivering multi-payload performance in a single sortie while requiring a minimal shipboard footprint and onboard logistics.