AAR (NYSE: AIR) announced today that Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. (“Bell Helicopter”) awarded its Defense Systems & Logistics (DS&L) business unit a contract providing warehouse and logistics services in support of upgrading T64 engines for the Bell V-280 Valor technical demonstrator aircraft. The two-year agreement is the first between the global aerospace and defense contractor AAR and Bell Helicopter, producer of commercial and military aircraft. AAR will support this effort from its logistics operation located in Havelock, N.C.

The Bell V-280 Valor is a third-generation tiltrotor aircraft participating in the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program. The V-280 Valor design was selected by the U.S. Army for the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) phase to serve as a precursor to FVL, a program which will create the next generation of vertical lift aircraft for the U.S. military. Bell Helicopter anticipates using a version of the Future Affordable Turbine Engine (FATE) in the production version of the V-280 Valor.

“We are pleased that Bell Helicopter has the confidence in AAR DS&L to support this important engine upgrade,” said Terry Comer, Program Manager, DS&L for AAR. “Our well-established presence in the area and our experience with the T64 and streamlining logistics expertise contributed to winning this contract.”

AAR has provided logistics support to military customers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contracts in North Carolina for more than a decade. The company’s DS&L group has inventory and sales offices strategically located around the globe and operates warehouse facilities near several U.S. military bases.

AAR DS&L offers integrated supply chain management services solutions as part of AAR’s Aviation Services group and provides support to the U.S. government and its allies. DS&L delivers comprehensive logistics solutions that span the aviation supply chain and the globe.