Honeywell to continue US Army M1 Abrams support

Honeywell will continue its support of the US Army's M1 Abrams main battle tank programme under two contracts announced on 23 October. The contracts, relating to AGT1500 engine support and manufacturing, are valued at a combined $221 million.

The Honeywell AGT1500 vehicular gas turbine engine is the power source for the M1 Abrams, providing the tank with advanced power and torque, low noise, and smokeless operation.

The first contract is a $111 million, 18-month follow-on agreement for continuation of the Total InteGrated Engine Revitalization (TIGER) programme. A collaboration between Honeywell, the US Army's Abrams Project Management Office, the Army's Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), and the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), the TIGER programme provides comprehensive maintenance and continuous improvements to the battle-proven AGT1500 engine to provide enhanced durability and lower operational costs for Abrams tank operators.

The second contract is valued at $110 million for the production of 125 new Honeywell AGT1500 engines from September 2012 through October 2015. This contract extends Honeywell's relationship with ANAD in Alabama where new AGT1500 engines are assembled and tested.

Tom Davis, vice president, Honeywell, US Army Programs, said of the new contracts: ‘Honeywell's integrated approach to support for the Abrams fleet of tanks incorporates demand and supplier management, product support, and condition-based maintenance to reduce our customers' life-cycle costs. When combined with the Department of Defense's significant investment in infrastructure and its hands-on repair and overhaul experience, the Honeywell and army enterprise team delivers higher-quality, more reliable AGT1500 engines for the US Army, Marine Corps and international customers.’