AAI Corporation
Aerospace and defense firm known for unmanned aircraft systems.
AAI Corporation is an aerospace and defense company based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, that designs and manufactures products including unmanned aircraft, ground control systems, training and simulation equipment, automated aerospace test gear, armament systems, and multi-turreted tracked ground combat vehicles. It also provides logistical, engineering, supply chain, and operational support services. Its customers include the U.S. Department of Defense and its prime contractors, allied foreign defense ministries, and other U.S. federal agencies. The company employs more than 2,000 people and operates as a unit of Textron Systems, having been acquired by Textron in 2007.
The company began as Aircraft Armaments, Inc. in August 1950, founded by six aviation and defense professionals, and was renamed AAI Corporation in the late 1950s. Its former parent, United Industrial Corporation (UIC), started as Hayes Body Corporation in the early 1900s and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on December 15, 1964. From 1994 to 2004, AAI partnered with Czech firm Škoda in a joint venture called Electric Transit, Inc., which built 330 trolley buses for San Francisco and Dayton before dissolving. In June 2006, AAI acquired Aerosonde Ltd. Textron bought UIC and its subsidiaries, including AAI, for about $1.1 billion in 2007, initially placing AAI under its Bell Textron helicopter unit. As of May 2014, AAI had been split into three divisions: Unmanned Systems, Support Solutions, and Electronic Systems. The company remains registered as an active corporation in Maryland under the name AAI Corporation and owns or leases more than 1.1 million square feet of office and manufacturing space across the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
AAI began work on unmanned systems in 1985, winning a competitive fly-off with its Pioneer Remotely Piloted Vehicle. Its unmanned aircraft systems include the Shadow 200 (RQ-7B), Shadow 400, and Shadow 600. By July 2014, Shadow systems had logged over 920,000 flight hours, more than 90 percent of them supporting U.S. and allied combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 2006 acquisition of Aerosonde added the Aerosonde Mark 4.7 small UAS, which was demonstrated aboard the M80 Stiletto ship in late 2009. In September 2008, AAI teamed with Aeronautics Ltd. to offer the Orbiter miniature UAS.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Aerospace industry / Defence industry
- Predecessor
- <!-- or
- Products
- Aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles
- Parent
- Textron
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
AAI Corporation originated as Aircraft Armaments, Inc. in August 1950, founded by six aviation and defense industry professionals, and was renamed AAI Corporation in the late 1950s. Its parent company, United Industrial Corporation (UIC), was founded as Hayes Body Corporation in the early 1900s and was admitted to the New York Stock Exchange on December 15, 1964. From 1994 to 2004, AAI partnered with the Czech firm Škoda in a joint venture called Electric Transit, Inc. to manufacture trolley buses, supplying 330 trolley buses to San Francisco and Dayton before the venture dissolved in 2004. On 22 June 2006, AAI acquired Aerosonde Ltd, an Australian UAS manufacturer. Textron acquired AAI and other subsidiaries of UIC for approximately $1.1 billion in 2007, making AAI part of Textron's helicopter subsidiary, Bell Textron. As of May 2014, AAI had been divided into three parts: Unmanned Systems, Support Solutions, and Electronic Systems, and remains registered as an active corporation in Maryland under the name AAI Corporation.
Reader's Guide
AAI Corporation's significance lies in its role as a designer and full-rate producer of operational unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, beginning with the Pioneer Remotely Piloted Vehicle in 1985. Its Shadow 200 Tactical UAS (RQ-7B) accumulated more than 920,000 flight hours by July 2014, with over 90 percent in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company expanded its UAS capabilities through the 2006 acquisition of Aerosonde Ltd, adding the Aerosonde Mark 4.7 small UAS. AAI also entered a 40-year exclusive license agreement with Carter Aviation Technologies in November 2009 for a slowed rotor/compound aircraft, though Carter bought back the license in 2014. In March 2019, the U.S. Army selected AAI and Martin UAV to provide candidate systems to replace the Shadow tactical UAS, with delivery over three years for evaluation. Beyond unmanned systems, AAI provides test and training systems used by every branch of the U.S. military, including maintenance trainers for the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, and logistical and engineering support services for domestic and international military customers.
Did You Know?
- AAI was founded in August 1950 as Aircraft Armaments, Inc. by six aviation and defense industry professionals.
- From 1994 to 2004, AAI partnered with Škoda in a joint venture to manufacture trolley buses, supplying 330 buses to San Francisco and Dayton.
- AAI's Shadow systems had accumulated more than 920,000 flight hours as of July 2014, with over 90 percent in combat support.
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