Amentum to Modernize US Marine Corps Citation Encore Fleet

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).