WOOD DALE, Illinois, November 12, 2012 – AAR (NYSE: AIR) has entered into an agreement with Pratt & Whitney AeroPower to become the exclusive supplier of Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and Jet Fuel Starter (JFS) parts and accessories for certain aircraft operated by the Japan Ministry of Defense (JMOD). The five-year contract will be managed by AAR’s Defense Systems and Logistics division and is expected to generate approximately $8 million per year. Expansion into foreign military markets is a key part of the Company’s growth strategy for its inventory management and distribution businesses.
AAR will sell directly to Sumitomo Corp., the parts trading company used by the JMOD to procure APU parts and accessories for its H-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, Japanese F-2 fighters and U-125 search and rescue aircraft. AAR has been a supplier for Hamilton Sundstrand since 1983 and began distributing its APU and JFS parts and accessories in the late 1990s. The new program expands AAR’s distributorship for Hamilton Sundstrand into the country of Japan.
“Each time we expand our role as a supplier for Hamilton Sundstrand, our goal is to provide their end users with high levels of customer service and value by leveraging our world-class distribution systems and processes,” said John Holmes, Aviation Services Group Vice President – Inventory Management and Distribution for AAR. “Through our agreements with Pratt & Whitney AeroPower and Sumitomo, in Japan, we’ll be able to reduce lead times and help ensure the Japan Ministry of Defense’s assets are mission-ready and operating at peak efficiency.”
AAR was recently named Aircraft Parts Supplier of the Year in a survey of more than 11,000 airline executives and industry professionals. Hamilton Sundstrand provides aircraft systems and aerospace products for both commercial and military aircraft.
About AAR
AAR is a leading provider of value-added products and services to the worldwide aerospace and government and defense industries. With facilities and sales locations around the world, AAR uses its close-to-the-customer business model to serve aviation and government/defense customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Technology Products. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com.
