Charleston, SC Economic Development

AAI Services wins $12.6M contract from Boeing

Mar. 13, 2008
Charleston Regional Business Journal
By Daily Journal Staff
The Charleston facility of AAI Services, a subsidiary of Hunt Valley, Md.-based AAI Corp., has been awarded a $12.6 million contract by The Boeing Co. to provide an additional landing-gear trainer in support of U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor combat aircraft.

Boeing, a primary member of the F-22 manufacturing team, is responsible for training systems for the aircraft program.

The landing-gear trainer is scheduled for delivery to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Including this new award, the company has received orders to build or modify a total of six F-22 Raptor trainers for Sheppard Air Force Base. To date, a modified aft fuselage trainer and a modified armament trainer have been delivered. AAI has also delivered one of two new landing gear trainers, and will modify an existing trainer.

AAI’s F-22 trainers are high-fidelity maintenance training simulators that will be used by Air Force technicians to develop apprentice-level certification skills for maintaining critical components and systems. The trainers interface with the same electronic maintenance tools that are used on the aircraft, providing high-quality training.

“AAI has a rich history of supporting the U.S. Air Force with leading-edge training and simulation systems and services,” said Fred Strader, president of AAI Corp. “In fact, we have provided C-17 Globemaster III trainers to the Air Force for more than a decade. It is an established area of success for our South Carolina Training and Simulation Center.”

AAI Corp., which was acquired last fall by Textron Inc., develops and manufactures tactical unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and allied armed forces, as well as training and simulation systems, automated aircraft test and maintenance equipment, armament systems, aviation ground support equipment and logistical, engineering, and supply chain services. 		related information