AAI Corporation
Encyclopedia
AAI Corporation is an aerospace and defense development and manufacturing firm in Hunt Valley, Maryland
, USA. It is formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation, AAI was acquired by Textron
in 2007 and currently is an operating unit of Textron Systems
Corporation. AAI employs more than 2,000.
The company’s customers include the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DoD) and its prime contractors, allied foreign government ministries of defense, and other United States federal agencies.
AAI is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
In the late 1950s, the company was renamed AAI Corporation. AAI’s parent company, United Industrial Corporation (UIC), was originally founded as Hayes Body Corporation in the early 1900s. Renamed many years later, UIC was admitted into the New York Stock Exchange for trading on December 15, 1964.
From 1994 to 2004, AAI partnered with the Czech firm, Škoda
, in a joint venture
to manufacture trolley buses
. The company was named Electric Transit, Inc.
and supplied 330 trolley buses to San Francisco
and Dayton
before being dissolved in 2004.
Today, AAI now owns or occupies more than 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) of office and manufacturing space across Australia, the United Kingdom and the USA.
The company's unmanned aircraft systems include the Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, which is designated RQ-7B by the U.S. Army, as well as the Shadow 400 and 600 systems. Worldwide, as of July, 2007, Shadow systems have flown more than 445,000 flight hours and 47,000 sorties—with more than 88 percent of those hours in support of U.S. and allied combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The company’s UAS capabilities expanded with the 2006 acquisition of Australian UAS manufacturer Aerosonde Pty. Ltd. This fleet's newest model is the Aerosonde Mark 4.7 small unmanned aircraft system. In late 2009, AAI conducted a shipboard demonstration of the system aboard the M-80 Stiletto ship.
In September 2008, AAI announced that it had teamed with Aeronautics Ltd. to provide the Orbiter miniature unmanned aircraft system in selected markets.
The company's One System Ground Control Station is fielded as part of the Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, as well as the One System Portable Ground Control Station and One System Remote Video Terminal.
On 16 November 2009, AAI entered a 40 year exclusive license agreement with Carter Aviation
concerning a possible autonomous slowed rotor/compound (SR/C) aircraft with potential for increased speed (250 knots) and range (1300 nautical miles) delivering 3000 pounds cargo, compared to traditional rotorcraft. It is to be based on the Carter PAV
.
AAI is developing an RQ-7 Shadow also with a Carter rotor on top for vertical take-off and landing, to fly in 2012.
AAI also intends to use this technology as the basis for their proposal to DARPAs "Flying Humvee" Transformer
program.
Its customers include the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, for which the company supports a wide variety of operational systems. The Logistics & Technical Services business unit also provides depot maintenance equipment and services to domestic and international military aviation customers.
The company’s Advanced Boresight Equipment (ABE) systems are used to align avionics and weapons systems onboard military aircraft and helicopters. AAI also produces radar simulators that simulate varied threat signals to test the functionality of radar warning receivers and cockpit displays and controls.
AAI acquired ESL Defence Limited in 2005. Based in the U.K., ESL designs and manufactures electro-optical, infrared, and ultraviolet test and simulation/stimulation products for use on flight lines, in aircraft maintenance facilities, and at military test and evaluation ranges.
AAI also provides functional automated test equipment (ATE) for satellite, electronic and other systems.
AAI modified and produced state-of-the-art, simulation-based maintenance training devices for the F-22 Raptor providing students with instruction in ground maintenance, aircraft servicing, and munitions loading.
The armament training device provides hands-on skill development pertaining to the removal, installation, inspection, operation, and checkout tasks of the gun, gun doors, left main weapons bay door system and launchers, left side weapons bay launcher, right wing pylon, partial fuel system, stores management system, and weapons safing system. The trainer uses real aircraft support equipment including munitions and the portable maintenance aid (PMA).
The landing gear training device allows instruction on maintenance tasks on the landing gear systems, environmental control systems, hydraulics, and electrical and electronic warfare systems. The device supports nose and right main landing gear operation, and an operational arresting hook.
The aft fuselage training device is a mock-up of the left side wing, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, engine bay, forward engine bay door, and aft engine bay door, as well as numerous light systems and engine bay area components for removal and installation task training.
The F-35 Lightning II aircraft system maintenance trainer provides student maintainers comprehensive training on ground operation, maintenance, fault isolation, and testing procedures in a highly realistic simulated environment utilizing an interactive 3-D virtual aircraft environment. This realistic, 3-D virtual vehicle environment, as well as 2-D panels and displays allow students to navigate throughout the F-35 aircraft during maintenance training and select the virtual support equipment and tools required. A real F-35 portable maintenance aid is connected at each student station, allowing the student to monitor the virtual aircraft functions, run diagnostics, and display technical and task documentation.
AAI’s training systems are utilized by U.S. and allied international military customers.
Products include naval, electronic warfare, air defense, radar, and UAS training systems.
project. It has also developed the PDCue Gunshot Detection System and TDCue acoustic detection systems for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley is an affluent unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It lies just north of the city of Baltimore, along Highway 145 off Interstate 83. Loch Raven Reservoir...
, USA. It is formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation, AAI was acquired by Textron
Textron
Textron is a conglomerate that includes Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee, among others. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company, and is headquartered at the Textron Tower in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.With total revenues of...
in 2007 and currently is an operating unit of Textron Systems
Textron Systems
Textron Systems is an aerospace and defense development and manufacturing firm headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., U.S.A. The company is a business unit of Textron Inc., which reported 2009 annual sales in the Textron Systems segment as $1.9 billion....
Corporation. AAI employs more than 2,000.
Overview
AAI's products and services include unmanned aircraft and ground control technologies; training and simulation systems;automated aerospace test and maintenance equipment; armament systems; and logistical, engineering, supply chain and operational support services.The company’s customers include the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DoD) and its prime contractors, allied foreign government ministries of defense, and other United States federal agencies.
AAI is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
History
AAI Corporation originated as Aircraft Armaments, Inc. in August 1950 by six aviation and defense industry professionals.In the late 1950s, the company was renamed AAI Corporation. AAI’s parent company, United Industrial Corporation (UIC), was originally founded as Hayes Body Corporation in the early 1900s. Renamed many years later, UIC was admitted into the New York Stock Exchange for trading on December 15, 1964.
From 1994 to 2004, AAI partnered with the Czech firm, Škoda
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
, in a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
to manufacture trolley buses
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
. The company was named Electric Transit, Inc.
Electric Transit, Inc.
Electric Transit, Inc. was a joint venture between the Škoda group in the Czech Republic and AAI Corporation in the United States which made trolleybuses for the Dayton and San Francisco trolleybus systems, constructing a total of 330 trolleybuses. ETI was formed in 1994, and ownership was divided...
and supplied 330 trolley buses to San Francisco
San Francisco Municipal Railway
The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
and Dayton
Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, formerly known as the Miami Valley RTA, is a public transit agency that generally serves the greater Dayton, Ohio area. The GDRTA serves communities within Montgomery County and parts of Greene County, Ohio, USA. There are 29 routes...
before being dissolved in 2004.
Today, AAI now owns or occupies more than 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) of office and manufacturing space across Australia, the United Kingdom and the USA.
Unmanned systems
AAI is one of a limited number of companies engaged in the design and full-rate production of a successfully fielded, operational UAS for the DoD. AAI first began development work on the unmanned systems product line in 1985, winning a competitive fly-off with its Pioneer Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV).The company's unmanned aircraft systems include the Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, which is designated RQ-7B by the U.S. Army, as well as the Shadow 400 and 600 systems. Worldwide, as of July, 2007, Shadow systems have flown more than 445,000 flight hours and 47,000 sorties—with more than 88 percent of those hours in support of U.S. and allied combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The company’s UAS capabilities expanded with the 2006 acquisition of Australian UAS manufacturer Aerosonde Pty. Ltd. This fleet's newest model is the Aerosonde Mark 4.7 small unmanned aircraft system. In late 2009, AAI conducted a shipboard demonstration of the system aboard the M-80 Stiletto ship.
In September 2008, AAI announced that it had teamed with Aeronautics Ltd. to provide the Orbiter miniature unmanned aircraft system in selected markets.
The company's One System Ground Control Station is fielded as part of the Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, as well as the One System Portable Ground Control Station and One System Remote Video Terminal.
On 16 November 2009, AAI entered a 40 year exclusive license agreement with Carter Aviation
Carter Aviation Technologies
Carter Aviation Technologies is a privately held aviation research and development company based in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States....
concerning a possible autonomous slowed rotor/compound (SR/C) aircraft with potential for increased speed (250 knots) and range (1300 nautical miles) delivering 3000 pounds cargo, compared to traditional rotorcraft. It is to be based on the Carter PAV
Carter PAV
The Carter PAV is a two-bladed, compound autogyro developed by Carter Aviation Technologies to demonstrate slowed rotor technology. The design has an unpowered rotor mounted on top of the fuselage, wings like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft mounted underneath, and a controllable pitch pusher...
.
AAI is developing an RQ-7 Shadow also with a Carter rotor on top for vertical take-off and landing, to fly in 2012.
AAI also intends to use this technology as the basis for their proposal to DARPAs "Flying Humvee" Transformer
Transformer (flying car)
The Transformer or TX is a 5-year, 3-phase flying car effort coordinated by DARPA for the United States Military.The objective of the Transformer program is to demonstrate a four person vehicle that provides enhanced logistics and mobility though hybrid flyable/roadable capabilities...
program.
Logistics & Technical Services
AAI provides a variety of engineering, logistical, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for the company's own platforms, as well as those of other original equipment manufacturers.Its customers include the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, for which the company supports a wide variety of operational systems. The Logistics & Technical Services business unit also provides depot maintenance equipment and services to domestic and international military aviation customers.
Test & Training Systems
AAI’s test systems are used by every branch of the U.S. military. The Joint Systems Electronic Combat Systems Tester (JSECST) is part of the DoD’s family of testers and currently supports flight-line EW testing for several U.S. military aircraft.The company’s Advanced Boresight Equipment (ABE) systems are used to align avionics and weapons systems onboard military aircraft and helicopters. AAI also produces radar simulators that simulate varied threat signals to test the functionality of radar warning receivers and cockpit displays and controls.
AAI acquired ESL Defence Limited in 2005. Based in the U.K., ESL designs and manufactures electro-optical, infrared, and ultraviolet test and simulation/stimulation products for use on flight lines, in aircraft maintenance facilities, and at military test and evaluation ranges.
AAI also provides functional automated test equipment (ATE) for satellite, electronic and other systems.
Training Systems
AAI has capabilities in the design, production, and sustainment of maintenance training devices such as the C-17 Globemaster, the F-22 Raptor, and most recently, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.AAI modified and produced state-of-the-art, simulation-based maintenance training devices for the F-22 Raptor providing students with instruction in ground maintenance, aircraft servicing, and munitions loading.
The armament training device provides hands-on skill development pertaining to the removal, installation, inspection, operation, and checkout tasks of the gun, gun doors, left main weapons bay door system and launchers, left side weapons bay launcher, right wing pylon, partial fuel system, stores management system, and weapons safing system. The trainer uses real aircraft support equipment including munitions and the portable maintenance aid (PMA).
The landing gear training device allows instruction on maintenance tasks on the landing gear systems, environmental control systems, hydraulics, and electrical and electronic warfare systems. The device supports nose and right main landing gear operation, and an operational arresting hook.
The aft fuselage training device is a mock-up of the left side wing, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, engine bay, forward engine bay door, and aft engine bay door, as well as numerous light systems and engine bay area components for removal and installation task training.
The F-35 Lightning II aircraft system maintenance trainer provides student maintainers comprehensive training on ground operation, maintenance, fault isolation, and testing procedures in a highly realistic simulated environment utilizing an interactive 3-D virtual aircraft environment. This realistic, 3-D virtual vehicle environment, as well as 2-D panels and displays allow students to navigate throughout the F-35 aircraft during maintenance training and select the virtual support equipment and tools required. A real F-35 portable maintenance aid is connected at each student station, allowing the student to monitor the virtual aircraft functions, run diagnostics, and display technical and task documentation.
AAI’s training systems are utilized by U.S. and allied international military customers.
Products include naval, electronic warfare, air defense, radar, and UAS training systems.
Advanced Systems
AAI’s Advanced Systems unit primarily investigates and responds to new and emerging customer needs and markets. The company is currently working on the U.S. Army’s Lightweight Small Arms TechnologiesLightweight Small Arms Technologies
The Lightweight Small Arms Technologies program is funded by the U.S. Joint Service Small Arms Program, with the goal of significantly reducing the weight of small arms and their ammunition...
project. It has also developed the PDCue Gunshot Detection System and TDCue acoustic detection systems for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
External links
- Textron Systems (AAI Corporation’s parent company)
- AAI Corporation and AAI Services Corporation (wholly owned subsidiary of AAI Corporation)
- Aerosonde Pty Ltd. (wholly owned subsidiary of AAI Corporation)
- ESL Defence Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of AAI Corporation)
- McTurbine Inc. (wholly owned subsidiary of AAI Services Corporation)
- Symtx, Inc. (wholly owned subsidiary of AAI Corporation)