Amentum has received a $145-million contract to upgrade and maintain the US Marine Corps UC-35D Citation Encore transport aircraft fleet.
Under the agreement, the company will deliver life-cycle modernization, integration, technical, and engineering services for the aircraft.
Associated tasks involve the supply of operational and logistics solutions throughout the project.
The contract encompasses all ten UC-45Ds under Marine Corps service across five domestic and international sites.
Work on the modernization effort began in June and will have a one-year base period with an additional four-year option.
Utilizing Augmented Reality
Amentum wrote that the UC-35D contract will be facilitated through the firm’s proprietary Augmented Reality (AR) Remote Expert and MerlinMX predictive analytics systems.
These technologies leverage a virtual environment to enable project coordination between on-site personnel and off-site subject matter experts.
Users can utilize the AR platforms through headsets, enabling real-time collaboration through program managers, engineers, safety specialists, and government representatives.
“Showcasing our unparalleled expertise in ensuring readiness for complex, no-fail missions solidifies us as the premier partner for the US Marine Corps, particularly in their mission-critical operations involving the rapid movement of personnel and cargo, as well as urgent medical evacuations,” Amentum President of the Critical Missions Group Dr. Karl Spinnenweber said.
The UC-35D System
The UC-35D Citation Encore is based on the Cessna Citation V business jet introduced in the early 1990s.
Since 2001, the UC-35D has been operational for executive transport, reconnaissance, drug interdiction, and cargo airlift missions under the US Marine Corps and Navy.
It has a length of 48.9 feet (14.9 meters), a wingspan of 52.2 feet (16.5 meters), and a maximum takeoff weight of 16,300 pounds (7,394 kilograms).
The aircraft is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW535A engines for a maximum speed of 449 knots (575 miles/925 kilometers per hour) and a range of 1,800 miles (2,897 kilometers).
![A UC-35D Citation Encore, piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Col. Mikel Huber, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point commanding officer, and Lt. Col. Patrick Lindstrom, MCAS Cherry Point Inspector General, taxis to the runway at MCAS Cherry Point, Aug. 2, 2022. Col. Huber flew the aircraft one final time as commanding officer, just three days ahead of relinquishing command of the air station on Aug. 5, 2022, where he will retire from active duty after 29 years of service. (U.S Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Lauralle Walker)](https://www.thedefensepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/7352996-scaled.jpg)