INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: AAI Corp.

Q: Can you describe AAI’s history and evolution?

A: AAI was founded in 1950. Today’s company shares the same mission as originally envisioned by AAI’s founders: creating innovative solutions for warfighters on land, in the air and at sea. That means leveraging our cutting-edge technologies and resources to rapidly develop and deliver integrated products and services that support U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force warfighters in an ever-changing battlespace.

Since joining Textron Systems in 2007, AAI has become a part of a larger group of organizations similarly dedicated to creating capabilities for warfighters facing the dangers of irregular warfare. For example, our sister Textron Systems organization, Overwatch Tactical Operations, develops intelligence software solutions to deliver more comprehensive situational awareness. Textron Defense Systems provides intelligent battlefield systems including unattended ground sensors and the Scorpion networked sensor and munitions platform. Our product and service capabilities are complementary, enabling us to provide warfighters a greater breadth of tools for precision engagement. For example, AAI and Overwatch Tactical Operations have combined their technologies to create the Tactical Remote Exploitation, or T-REx, Terminal, which provides intelligence analysts a unified interface for collecting and analyzing intelligence data from multiple remote sensing systems.

Q: What are AAI’s primary product areas?

A: Our watchword is innovation—we are focused on creating cutting-edge technologies that support our troops at every stage. Our Unmanned Aircraft Systems [UAS] group delivers a diverse fleet of unmanned aircraft and interoperable ground control technologies. These include Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems, which are in service with the Army and Marine Corps and have accumulated more than 415,000 operational hours. Shadow systems provide valuable mission capabilities including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition. Our Aerosonde small UAS, including the new, expeditionary Mark 4.7 system, are designed for fast, easy deployment, mission flexibility and long endurance. These systems are supported by our ground control technologies including the One System Ground Control Station [GCS], the next-generation universal GCS for joint services interoperability, and One System Remote Video Terminal.

AAI also has decades of experience designing and manufacturing robust test systems that ensure full mission capability. Our test systems include the Joint Service Electronic Combat Systems Tester, utilized by the Navy and Air Force on flight lines to ensure mission readiness and reliability, as well as advanced boresight equipment, or ABE, a measurement platform that aligns systems on land, sea or air vehicles.

We also provide a full spectrum of training products and services including unmanned aircraft system and electronic warfare trainers, embedded training systems, and other full-scale and part-task immersive trainers, as well as instruction and life cycle support services. Among these platforms is the Shadow crew trainer, which enables individual and crew-level skill development as well as full mission rehearsal in a classroom environment. Our Simulator for Electronic Combat Systems Training, or SECT, incorporates photo-realistic interfaces, a fully reactive synthetic environment, and robust evaluation capabilities for Air Force combat systems officer trainees. We also deliver high-fidelity aircraft maintenance trainers for platforms including the C-17 and F-35.

For training ranges, AAI’s TDCue automatic target scoring system accurately detects and immediately records the precise location of hits using acoustic technology. This technology also powers our highly effective PDCue gunshot detection system, which instantaneously locates and updates the source of single-shot, burst fire and multiple-shot events in urban and rural environments.

We also work with the Army and Marine Corps on the Lightweight Small Arms Technologies, or LSAT, program, under which AAI is developing its high-performance 5.56-millimeter light machine gun and a carbine rifle variant, along with two innovative ammunition technologies, including plastic cased telescoped and caseless designs.

Q: How do post-delivery services and life cycle support fit into AAI’s offerings?

A: AAI delivers comprehensive logistical, engineering and supply chain services through its strategic business AAI Services Corp. We partner with our customers to understand their system requirements, and provide great value beyond the point of delivery. Our capabilities include comprehensive logistics support planning and execution, including: analysis; documentation; contractor logistics and depot support; training and instruction services; and supply chain management services such as performancebased logistics [PBL], system obsolescence planning and concurrency management.

These services provide customers continuous mission readiness. For example, AAI’s experienced field service representatives work alongside fielded Shadow units to ensure system availability, and our Navy EA-6B aircraft hydraulics system PBL program provides transportation management, reliability and maintainability optimization, upgrades and obsolescence solutions.

Q: How do customers benefit from AAI’s varied resources and expertise?

A: Our broad capabilities and proven successes make AAI a one-stop resource. Not only do we provide trusted, solution-based platforms and systems integration expertise; we support these with robust test and training devices as well as tailored instructional and total life cycle support services—developing innovative solutions for our customers’ most complex requirements. ♦

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