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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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Form 10-K

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For the fiscal year ended January 4, 2020

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For the transition period from to .

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Textron Inc.

Index to Annual Report on Form 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended January 4, 2020

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alliance with Boeing, Bell produces and supports the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and also for Japan under the U.S. Government-sponsored foreign military sales program. The H-1 helicopter program includes a utility model, the UH-1Y, and an advanced attack model, the AH-1Z, which have 84% parts commonality between them. While the U.S. Marine Corps is the primary customer for H-1 helicopters, we also sell H-1 helicopters under the U.S. Government-sponsored foreign military sales program.

Bell is developing the V-280 Valor, a next generation vertical lift aircraft as part of the Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) initiative. The JMR-TD program is the science and technology precursor to the Department of Defense’s Future Vertical Lift program. Aircraft designed through this initiative will compete to replace thousands of aging utility and attack helicopters for the U.S. Armed Forces over the next decade. The V-280 achieved its first flight in December 2017 and its first cruise mode flight in May 2018, and continues to perform ongoing flight testing. In October 2019, Bell announced a new rotorcraft, the Bell 360 Invictus, which it is developing as its entrant for the U.S. Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Competitive Prototype Program. This program was initiated by the Army to develop a successor to the retired Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter.

Through its commercial business, Bell is a leading supplier of commercially certified helicopters and support to corporate, offshore petroleum exploration and development, utility, charter, police, fire, rescue and emergency medical helicopter operators, and foreign governments. Bell produces a variety of commercial aircraft types, including light single- and twin-engine helicopters and medium twin-engine helicopters, along with other related products. The helicopters currently offered by Bell for commercial applications include the 407GXP, 407GXi, 412EP, 412EPI, 429, 429WLG, 505 Jet Ranger X and Huey II. In addition, the 525 Relentless, Bell’s first super medium commercial helicopter, continues flight test activities and is working on certification with the Federal Aviation Administration.

For both its military programs and its commercial products, Bell provides post-sale support and service for an installed base of approximately 13,000 helicopters through a network of six Company-operated service centers, four global parts distribution centers and nearly 100 independent service centers located in over 35 countries. Collectively, these service sites offer a complete range of logistics support, including parts, support equipment, technical data, training devices, pilot and maintenance training, component repair and overhaul, engine repair and overhaul, aircraft modifications, aircraft customizing, accessory manufacturing, contractor maintenance, field service and product support engineering.

Bell competes against a number of competitors throughout the world for its helicopter business and its parts and support business. Competition is based primarily on price, product quality and reliability, product support, performance and reputation.

Textron Systems Segment

Textron Systems’ product lines consist of Unmanned Systems, Marine and Land systems, and Simulation, Training and Other. Textron Systems is a supplier to the defense, aerospace and general aviation markets, and represents 10%, 10% and 13% of our total revenues in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. This segment sells products to U.S. Government customers and to customers outside the U.S. through foreign military sales sponsored by the U.S. Government and directly through commercial sales channels. Textron Systems competes on the basis of technology, contract performance, price, product quality and reliability, product support and reputation.

Unmanned Systems

Our Unmanned Systems product line includes unmanned aircraft systems, unmanned surface systems, mission command hardware and solutions, and worldwide customer support and logistics. Unmanned aircraft systems includes the Shadow, the U.S. Army’s premier tactical unmanned aircraft system, which has surpassed one million flight hours since its introduction, and the Aerosonde Small Unmanned Aircraft System, a multi-mission capable unmanned aircraft system that has amassed more than 400,000 flight hours in commercial and military operations around the world. Unmanned Systems also provides complete systems solutions to its government and commercial customers through comprehensive program management, operational and maintenance training, technical assistance and logistics support, and end-to-end turnkey mission support.

Marine and Land Systems

Our Marine and Land Systems product line includes advanced marine craft, armored vehicles and specialty vehicles supporting fire and rescue applications. These products are in service with U.S. and international militaries, special operations forces, police forces and civilian entities. Marine and Land Systems’ primary U.S. Government program is for the development and production of the U.S. Navy’s next generation Landing Craft Air Cushion as part of the Ship-to-Shore Connector program.

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Simulation, Training and Other

The Simulation, Training and Other product line includes products and services provided by the following businesses: TRU Simulation + Training, Textron Airborne Solutions, Electronic Systems, Lycoming, and Weapons and Sensors Systems. TRU Simulation + Training designs, develops, manufactures, installs, and provides maintenance of advanced flight training devices, including full flight simulators, for both rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft for commercial airlines, aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), flight training centers and training organizations worldwide. Textron Airborne Solutions, which includes Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, focuses on live military air-to-air and air-to-ship training and support services for U.S. Navy, Marine and Air Force pilots. Electronic Systems provides high technology test equipment, electronic warfare test and training solutions and intelligence software solutions for U.S. and international defense, intelligence and law enforcement communities. Lycoming specializes in the engineering, manufacture, service and support of piston aircraft engines for the general aviation and remotely piloted aircraft markets. Weapons and Sensors Systems offers advanced precision guided weapons systems, airborne and ground-based sensors and surveillance systems, and protection systems for the defense and aerospace industries.

Industrial Segment

Our Industrial segment designs and manufactures a variety of products within the Fuel Systems and Functional Components and Specialized Vehicles product lines.  On July 2, 2018, we sold our Tools and Test Equipment businesses that were previously included in this segment as discussed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements on page 50 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Industrial segment revenues represented 28%, 31% and 30% of our total revenues in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Fuel Systems and Functional Components

Our Fuel Systems and Functional Components product line is produced by our Kautex business unit which is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.  Kautex is a leader in designing and manufacturing plastic fuel systems for automobiles and light trucks, including blow-molded solutions for conventional plastic fuel tanks and pressurized plastic fuel tanks for hybrid vehicle applications.  Kautex also develops and manufactures clear-vision systems for automotive safety and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).  Our cleaning systems are comprised of nozzles, reservoirs, inlets and pumps to support onboard cleaning for windscreens, headlamps and ADAS cameras and sensors.  In addition, Kautex produces plastic tanks for selective catalytic reduction systems used to reduce emissions from diesel engines and other fuel system components.  

Kautex’s business model is focused on developing and maintaining long-term customer relationships with leading global OEMs. Kautex operates over 30 plants in 14 countries in close proximity to our customers, along with 9 engineering/research and development locations around the world.

Our automotive products have several major competitors worldwide, some of which are affiliated with the OEMs that comprise our targeted customer base. Competition typically is based on a number of factors including price, technology, environmental performance, product quality and reliability, prior experience and available manufacturing capacity.

Specialized Vehicles

Our Specialized Vehicles product line includes products sold by the Textron Specialized Vehicles businesses under our E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, TUG Technologies, Douglas Equipment, Premier, Safeaero, Ransomes, Jacobsen and Cushman brands. These businesses design, manufacture and sell golf cars, off-road utility vehicles, recreational side-by-side and all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, light transportation vehicles, aviation ground support equipment and professional turf-maintenance equipment, as well as specialized turf-care vehicles.

These businesses have a diversified customer base that includes golf courses and resorts, government agencies and municipalities, consumers, outdoor enthusiasts, and commercial and industrial users such as factories, warehouses, airlines, planned communities, hunting preserves, educational and corporate campuses, sporting venues, municipalities and landscaping professionals. Sales are made through a combination of a network of independent distributors and dealers worldwide, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s retail outlets, which sell our products under the Tracker Off-Road brand, and factory direct resources. We have two major competitors for both golf cars and professional turf-maintenance equipment, and several competitors for off-road utility vehicles, recreational all-terrain and light transportation vehicles, side-by-sides and snowmobiles, aviation ground support equipment, and specialized turf-care products. Competition is based primarily on price, product quality and reliability, product features, product support and reputation.

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Finance Segment

Our Finance segment, or the Finance group, is a commercial finance business that consists of Textron Financial Corporation (TFC) and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Finance segment provides financing primarily to purchasers of new and pre-owned Textron Aviation aircraft and Bell helicopters. A substantial number of the new originations in our finance receivable portfolio are cross-border transactions for aircraft sold outside of the U.S. Finance receivables originated in the U.S. are primarily for purchasers who had difficulty in accessing other sources of financing for the purchase of Textron-manufactured products.  In 2019, 2018 and 2017, our Finance group paid our Manufacturing group $184 million, $177 million and $174 million, respectively, related to the sale of Textron-manufactured products to third parties that were financed by the Finance group.  

The commercial finance business traditionally is extremely competitive. Our Finance segment is subject to competition from various types of financing institutions, including banks, leasing companies, commercial finance companies and finance operations of equipment vendors.  Competition within the commercial finance industry primarily is focused on price, term, structure and service.

Our Finance segment’s largest business risk is the collectability of its finance receivable portfolio.  See Finance segment section in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations on page 27 for information about the Finance segment’s credit performance.

Backlog represents amounts allocated to contracts that we expect to recognize as revenue in future periods when we perform under the contracts. Backlog excludes unexercised contract options and potential orders under ordering-type contracts, such as Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contracts.

U.S. Government Contracts

In 2019, approximately 24% of our consolidated revenues were generated by or resulted from contracts with the U.S. Government, including those contracts under the U.S. Government-sponsored foreign military sales program. This business is subject to competition, changes in procurement policies and regulations, the continuing availability of funding, which is dependent upon congressional appropriations, national and international priorities for defense spending, world events, and the size and timing of programs in which we may participate.

Our contracts with the U.S. Government generally may be terminated by the U.S. Government for convenience or if we default in whole or in part by failing to perform under the terms of the applicable contract. If the U.S. Government terminates a contract for convenience, we normally will be entitled to payment for the cost of contract work performed before the effective date of termination, including, if applicable, reasonable profit on such work, as well as reasonable termination costs. If, however, the U.S. Government terminates a contract for default, generally: (a) we will be paid the contract price for completed supplies delivered and accepted and services rendered, an agreed-upon amount for manufacturing materials delivered and accepted and for the protection and preservation of property, and an amount for partially completed products accepted by the U.S. Government; (b) the U.S. Government may not be liable for our costs with respect to unaccepted items and may be entitled to repayment of advance payments and progress payments related to the terminated portions of the contract; (c) the U.S. Government may not be liable for assets we own and utilize to provide services under the “fee-for-service” contracts; and (d) we may be liable for excess costs incurred by the U.S. Government in procuring undelivered items from another source.

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Patents and Trademarks

We own, or are licensed under, numerous patents throughout the world relating to products, services and methods of manufacturing. Patents developed while under contract with the U.S. Government may be subject to use by the U.S. Government. We also own or license active trademark registrations and pending trademark applications in the U.S. and in various foreign countries or regions, as well as trade names and service marks. While our intellectual property rights in the aggregate are important to the operation of our business, we do not believe that any existing patent, license, trademark or other intellectual property right is of such importance that its loss or termination would have a material adverse effect on our business taken as a whole. Some of these trademarks, trade names and service marks are used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports, including: A-²PATS; Able Aerospace Services; Able Preferred; Aeronautical Accessories; Aerosonde; ALPHA; Alterra; AH-1Z; Arctic Cat; AT-6; ATAC; AVCOAT; Baron; Bearcat; Beechcraft; Beechcraft T-6; Bell; Bell Helicopter; BIG DOG; BlackWorks McCauley; BLAST; Bonanza; Cadillac Gage; CAP; Caravan; Cessna; Cessna SkyCourier; Citation; Citation Latitude; Citation Longitude; Citation M2; Citation Sovereign; Citation XLS+; CJ1+; CJ2+; CJ3; CJ3+; CJ4; Clairity; CLAW; Commando; Cushman; Customer Advantage Plans; CUSV; Denali; Eclipse; El Tigre; EX1; Express Start; E-Z-GO; E-Z-GO EXPRESS; FAST-N-LATCH; Firecat; FOREVER WARRANTY; Freedom; Fury; GLOBAL MISSION SUPPORT; Grand Caravan; GRIZZLY; H-1; HAULER; Hawker; Huey; Huey II; HUNTSMAN; IE2; Integrated Command Suite; INTELLIBRAKE; Jacobsen; Jet Ranger X; Kautex; King Air; King Air C90GTx; King Air 250; King Air 350; Kiowa Warrior; LF; Lycoming; Lynx; M1117 ASV; McCauley; Mission Critical Support (MCS); MISSIONLINK; Motorfist; MudPro; Mustang; Next Generation Carbon Canister; Next Generation Fuel System; NGCC; NGFS; NightWarden; Odyssey; Pantera; Power Advantage; Premier; Pro-Fit; ProFlight; ProParts; ProPropeller; Prowler; Ransomes; REALCue; REALFeel; Relentless; RIPSAW; RT²; RXV; Safeaero; Scorpion; SEEGEO; Shadow; Shadow Knight; Shadow Master; SKYCOURIER; Skyhawk; Skyhawk SP; Skylane; SkyPLUS; Sno Pro; SnoCross; Sovereign; SNOWMEGEDDON; Speedrack; Stampede; Stationair; Super Cargomaster; Super Medium; SuperCobra; Synturian; Team Arctic; Textron; Textron Airborne Solutions; Textron Aviation; Textron Financial Corporation; Textron GSE; Textron Systems; Thundercat; TrainOnsite; TRUESET; TRU Simulation + Training; TRUCKSTER; TTx; TUG; Turbo Skylane; Turbo Stationair; TRV; TXT; UH-1Y; VALOR; Value-Driven MRO Solutions; V-22 Osprey; V-247; V-280; Wildcat; Wolverine; ZR; 2FIVE; 206; 206L4; 407; 407GXi; 412; 412EPI; 429; 429WLG; 505; 525 and 525 Relentless. These marks and their related trademark designs and logotypes (and variations of the foregoing) are trademarks, trade names or service marks of Textron Inc., its subsidiaries, affiliates or joint ventures.

Environmental Considerations

Our operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect the environment. Compliance with these laws and expenditures for environmental controls has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. Additional information regarding environmental matters is contained in Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements on page 72 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We do not believe that existing or pending climate change legislation, regulation, or international treaties or accords are reasonably likely to have a material effect in the foreseeable future on our business or markets nor on our results of operations, capital expenditures or financial position. We will continue to monitor emerging developments in this area.

Mr. Donnelly joined Textron in June 2008 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2009. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in October 2009 and became Chief Executive Officer of Textron in December 2009, at which time the Chief Operating Officer position was eliminated. In July 2010, Mr. Donnelly was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors effective September 1, 2010. Previously, Mr. Donnelly was the President and CEO of General Electric Company’s Aviation business unit, a position he had held since July 2005. GE’s Aviation business unit is a leading maker of commercial and military jet engines and components, as well as integrated digital, electric power and mechanical systems for aircraft. Prior to July 2005, Mr. Donnelly served as Senior Vice President of GE Global Research, one of the world’s largest and most diversified industrial research organizations with facilities in the U.S., India, China and Germany and held various other management positions since joining General Electric in 1989.

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Mr. Connor joined Textron in August 2009 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Mr. Connor was head of Telecom Investment Banking at Goldman, Sachs & Co. from 2003 to 2008. Prior to that position, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Telecom, Technology and Media Investment Banking at Goldman, Sachs & Co. from 1998 to 2003. Mr. Connor joined the Corporate Finance Department of Goldman, Sachs & Co. in 1986 and became a Vice President in 1990 and a Managing Director in 1996.

Ms. Duffy was named Executive Vice President, Human Resources in July 2017. Ms. Duffy joined Textron in 1997 as a member of the corporate legal team and has since held positions of increasing responsibility within the Company’s legal function, previously serving as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel-Litigation, a position she had held since 2011. In that role she was responsible for managing the corporate litigation staff with primary oversight of litigation throughout Textron. She has also played an active role in developing, implementing and standardizing human resources policies across the Company and served as the senior legal advisor on employment and benefits issues.

Mr. Lupone joined Textron in February 2012 as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. Previously, he was senior vice president and general counsel of Siemens Corporation (U.S.) since 1999 and general counsel of Siemens AG for the Americas since 2008. Prior to joining Siemens in 1992, Mr. Lupone was vice president and general counsel of Price Communications Corporation.

Available Information

We make available free of charge on our Internet Web site (www.textron.com) our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other oral and written statements made by us from time to time are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which may describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters, or project revenues, income, returns or other financial measures, often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “guidance,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “likely” or “may” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. In addition to those factors described herein under “Risk Factors,” among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from past and projected future results are the following:

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As a U.S. Government contractor, we are subject to procurement rules and regulations ; our failure to comply with these rules and regulations could adversely affect our business.

We must comply with and are affected by laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration and performance of U.S. Government contracts. These laws and regulations, among other things, require certification and disclosure of all cost and pricing data in connection with contract negotiation, define allowable and unallowable costs and otherwise govern our right to reimbursement under certain cost-based U.S. Government contracts, and safeguard and restrict the use and dissemination of classified information, covered defense information, and the exportation of certain products and technical data. New laws, regulations or procurement requirements or changes to current ones (including, for example, regulations related to cybersecurity) can significantly increase our costs, reducing our profitability. Our failure to comply with procurement regulations and requirements could allow the U.S. Government to suspend or debar us from receiving new contracts for a period of time, reduce the value of existing contracts, issue modifications to a contract, withhold cash on contract payments, and control and potentially prohibit the export of our products, services and associated materials, any of which could negatively impact our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity. A number of our U.S. Government contracts contain provisions that require us to make disclosure to the Inspector General of the agency that is our customer if we have credible evidence that we have violated U.S. criminal laws involving fraud, conflict of interest, or bribery; the U.S. civil False Claims Act; or received a significant overpayment under a U.S. Government contract. Failure to properly and timely make disclosures under these provisions may result in a termination for default or cause, suspension and/or debarment, and potential fines.

As a U.S. Government contractor, our businesses and systems are subject to audit and review by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).

We operate in a highly regulated environment and are routinely audited and reviewed by the U.S. Government and its agencies such as the DCAA and DCMA. These agencies review our performance under contracts, our cost structure and our compliance with laws and regulations applicable to U.S. Government contractors. The systems that are subject to review include, but are not limited to, our accounting, estimating, material management and accounting, earned value management, purchasing and government property systems. If an audit uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions that may include the termination of our contracts, forfeiture or reduction of profits, suspension or reduction of payments, fines, and, under certain circumstances, suspension or debarment from future contracts for a period of time. Whether or not illegal activities are alleged, the U.S. Government also has the ability to decrease or withhold certain payments when it deems systems subject to its review to be inadequate.  These laws and regulations affect how we conduct business with our government customers and, in some instances, impose added costs on our business.

The use of multi-award contracts by the U.S. Government increases competition, pricing pressure and cost.

The U.S. Government increasingly relies upon competitive contract award types, including indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity and multi-award contracts, which have the potential to create greater competition and increased pricing pressure, as well as to increase our cost by requiring that we submit multiple bids. In addition, multi-award contracts increase our cost as they require that we make sustained efforts to obtain task orders and delivery orders under the contract. Further, the competitive bidding process is costly and demands managerial time to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that may not be awarded to us or may be split among competitors.

Our profitability and cash flow varies depending on the mix of our government contracts and our ability to control costs.

Under fixed-price contracts, generally we receive a fixed price irrespective of the actual costs we incur, and, consequently, any costs in excess of the fixed price are absorbed by us. Changes in underlying assumptions, circumstances or estimates used in developing the pricing for such contracts can adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, fixed-price contracts generally require progress payments rather than performance-based payments which can delay our ability to recover a significant amount of costs incurred on a contract and thus affect the timing of our cash flows. Under fixed-price incentive contracts, we share with the U.S. Government cost underrun savings, which are derived from total cost being less than target costs; we also share in cost overruns, which occur when total costs exceed target costs up to a negotiated cost ceiling, but are solely responsible for costs above the ceiling. Under time and materials contracts, we are paid for labor at negotiated hourly billing rates and for certain expenses. Under cost-reimbursement contracts that are subject to a contract-ceiling amount, we are reimbursed for allowable costs and paid a fee, which may be fixed or performance based, however, if our costs exceed the contract ceiling or are not allowable under the provisions of the contract or applicable regulations, we may not be able to obtain reimbursement for all such costs.  Due to the nature of our work under government contracts, we sometimes experience unforeseen technological difficulties and cost overruns. Under each type of contract, if we are unable to control costs or if our initial cost estimates are incorrect, our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. Cost overruns also may adversely affect our ability to sustain existing programs and obtain future contract awards.

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Demand for our aircraft products is cyclical and lower demand adversely affects our financial results.

Demand for business jets, turbo props and commercial helicopters has been cyclical and difficult to forecast. Therefore, future demand for these products could be significantly and unexpectedly less than anticipated and/or less than previous period deliveries. Similarly, there is uncertainty as to when or whether our existing commercial backlog for aircraft products will convert to revenues as the conversion depends on production capacity, customer needs and credit availability. Changes in economic conditions has in the past caused, and in the future may cause, customers to request that firm orders be rescheduled, deferred or cancelled. Reduced demand for our aircraft products or delays or cancellations of orders previously has had and, in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition.

We have made and may continue to make acquisitions that increase the risks of our business.

We enter into acquisitions in an effort to expand our business and enhance shareholder value. Acquisitions involve risks and uncertainties that, in some cases, have resulted, and, in the future, could result in our not achieving expected benefits.  Such risks include difficulties in integrating newly acquired businesses and operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner; challenges in achieving expected strategic objectives, cost savings and other benefits; the risk that the acquired businesses’ markets do not evolve as anticipated and that the acquired businesses’ products and technologies do not prove to be those needed to be successful in those markets; the risk that our due diligence reviews of the acquired business do not identify or adequately assess all of the material issues which impact valuation of the business or result in costs or liabilities in excess of what we anticipated; the risk that we pay a purchase price that exceeds what the future results of operations would have merited; the risk that the acquired business may have significant internal control deficiencies or exposure to regulatory sanctions; and the potential loss of key customers, suppliers and employees of the acquired businesses.

Failure to perform by our subcontractors or suppliers could adversely affect our performance.

We rely on other companies to provide raw materials, major components and subsystems for our products. Subcontractors also perform services that we provide to our customers in certain circumstances. We depend on these suppliers and subcontractors to meet our contractual obligations to our customers and conduct our operations. Our ability to meet our obligations to our customers could be adversely affected if suppliers or subcontractors do not provide the agreed-upon supplies or perform the agreed-upon services in compliance with customer requirements and in a timely and cost-effective manner. Likewise, the quality of our products could be adversely impacted if companies to whom we delegate manufacture of major components or subsystems for our products, or from whom we acquire such items, do not provide components or subsystems which meet required specifications and perform to our and our customers’ expectations. Our suppliers may be less likely than us to be able to quickly recover from natural disasters and other events beyond their control and may be subject to additional risks such as financial problems that limit their ability to conduct their operations. The risk of these adverse effects would likely be greater in circumstances where we rely on only one or two subcontractors or suppliers for a particular raw material, product or service. In particular, in the aircraft industry, most vendor parts are certified by the regulatory agencies as part of the overall Type Certificate for the aircraft being produced by the manufacturer. If a vendor does not or cannot supply its parts, then the manufacturer’s production line may be stopped until the manufacturer can design, manufacture and certify a similar part itself or identify and certify another similar vendor’s part, resulting in significant delays in the completion of aircraft. Such events may adversely affect our financial results, damage our reputation and relationships with our customers, and result in regulatory actions and/or litigation.

Our business could be negatively impacted by information technology disruptions and security threats.

Our information technology (IT) and related systems are critical to the efficient operation of our business and essential to our ability to perform day to day processes.  From time to time, we update and/or replace IT systems used by our businesses.  The implementation of new systems can present temporary disruptions of business activities as existing processes are transitioned to the new systems, resulting in productivity issues, including delays in production, shipments or other business operations. We also outsource certain support functions, including certain global IT infrastructure services, to third-party service providers, and any disruption of such outsourced processes or functions could have a material adverse effect on our operations.  In addition, as a U.S. defense contractor, we face certain security threats, including threats to our IT infrastructure and unlawful attempts to gain access to our information via phishing / malware campaigns and other cyberattack methods, as well as threats to the physical security of our facilities and employees, as do our customers, suppliers, subcontractors and joint venture partners. Attempts to gain unauthorized access to our confidential, classified or otherwise proprietary information or that of our employees or customers, as well as other security breaches, are persistent, continue to evolve and require highly skilled IT resources.

We maintain Information Systems Incident Management Standards applicable to all our businesses intended to ensure information security events and weaknesses associated with information systems are communicated and acted on in a timely manner. Our enterprise risk management program includes cyber risk/network protection mitigation plans, and our disclosure controls and procedures address cybersecurity and include processes intended to ensure that security breaches are analyzed for potential disclosure. Additionally, we conduct periodic training for our employees regarding the protection of sensitive information which includes training intended to prevent the success of cyberattacks. Further, our insider trading compliance program addresses restrictions against trading while in possession of material, nonpublic information in connection with a cybersecurity incident.

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While we have experienced cybersecurity attacks, we have not suffered any material losses relating to such attacks, and we believe our threat detection and mitigation processes and procedures are robust.  Due to the evolving nature of security threats, the possibility of future material incidents cannot be completely mitigated, and we may not always be successful in detecting, reporting or responding to cyber incidents. Future attacks or breaches of data security, whether of our systems or the systems of our service providers or other third parties who may have access to our data for business purposes, could disrupt our operations, cause the loss of business information or compromise confidential information, exposing us to liability or regulatory action. Such an incident also could require significant management attention and resources, increase costs that may not be covered by insurance, and result in reputational damage, potentially adversely affecting our competitiveness and our results of operations. Products and services that we provide to our customers may themselves be subject to cyberthreats which may not be detected or effectively mitigated, resulting in potential losses that could adversely affect us and our customers. In addition, our customers, including the U.S. Government, are increasingly requiring cybersecurity protections and mandating cybersecurity standards in our products, and we may incur additional costs to comply with such demands.

Developing new products and technologies entails significant risks and uncertainties.

To continue to grow our revenues and segment profit, we must successfully develop new products and technologies or modify our existing products and technologies for our current and future markets. Our future performance depends, in part, on our ability to identify emerging technological trends and customer requirements and to develop and maintain competitive products and services. Delays or cost overruns in the development and acceptance of new products or certification of new aircraft and other products occur from time to time and could adversely affect our results of operations. These delays could be caused by unanticipated technological hurdles, production changes to meet customer demands, unanticipated difficulties in obtaining required regulatory certifications of new aircraft or other products, coordination with joint venture partners or failure on the part of our suppliers to deliver components as agreed. We also could be adversely affected if our research and development efforts are less successful than expected or if we do not adequately protect the intellectual property developed through these efforts. Likewise, new products and technologies could generate unanticipated safety or other concerns resulting in expanded product liability risks, potential product recalls and other regulatory issues that could have an adverse impact on us. Furthermore, because of the lengthy research and development cycle involved in bringing certain of our products to market, we cannot predict the economic conditions that will exist when any new product is complete. A reduction in capital spending in the aerospace or defense industries could have a significant effect on the demand for new products and technologies under development, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our investments in equipment or technology that we believe will enable us to obtain future service contracts for our U.S. Government or other customers may not result in contracts or revenues sufficient to offset such investment. The market for our product offerings does not always develop or continue to expand as we anticipate. Furthermore, we cannot be sure that our competitors will not develop competing technologies which gain superior market acceptance compared to our products.  A significant failure in our new product development efforts or the failure of our products or services to achieve market acceptance relative to our competitors’ products or services could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to the risks of doing business in foreign countries that could adversely impact our business.

During 2019, we derived approximately 34% of our revenues from international business, including U.S. exports. Conducting business internationally exposes us to additional risks than if we conducted our business solely within the U.S. We maintain manufacturing facilities, service centers, supply centers and other facilities worldwide, including in various emerging market countries.  Risks related to international operations include import, export, economic sanctions and other trade restrictions; changing U.S. and foreign procurement policies and practices; changes in international trade policies, including higher tariffs on imported goods and materials and renegotiation of free trade agreements; potential retaliatory tariffs imposed by foreign countries against U.S. goods; impacts related to the voluntary exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (“Brexit”); restrictions on technology transfer; difficulties in protecting intellectual property; increasing complexity of employment and environmental, health and safety regulations; foreign investment laws; exchange controls; repatriation of earnings or cash settlement challenges, competition from foreign and multinational firms with home country advantages; economic and government instability, acts of terrorism and related safety concerns.  The impact of any one or more of these or other factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.

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Additionally, some international government customers require contractors to agree to specific in-country purchases, technology transfers, manufacturing agreements or financial support arrangements, known as offsets, as a condition for a contract award. These contracts generally extend over several years and may include penalties if we fail to perform in accordance with the offset requirements which are often subjective. We also are exposed to risks associated with using foreign representatives and consultants for international sales and operations and teaming with international subcontractors and suppliers in connection with international programs. In many foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, it is common to engage in business practices that are prohibited by laws and regulations applicable to us, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Although we maintain policies and procedures designed to facilitate compliance with these laws, a violation of such laws by any of our international representatives, consultants, joint ventures, business partners, subcontractors or suppliers, even if prohibited by our policies, could have an adverse effect on our business and reputation.

We are subject to increasing compliance risks that could adversely affect our operating results.

As a global business, we are subject to laws and regulations in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate. International sales and global operations require importing and exporting goods, software and technology, some of which have military applications subjecting them to more stringent import-export controls across international borders on a regular basis. For example, we sometimes initially must obtain licenses and authorizations from various U.S. Government agencies before we are permitted to sell certain of our aerospace and defense products outside the U.S., and we are not always successful in obtaining these licenses or authorizations in a timely manner. Both U.S. and foreign laws and regulations applicable to us have been increasing in scope and complexity. For example, both U.S. and foreign governments and government agencies regulate the aviation industry, and they have previously and may in the future impose new regulations for additional aircraft security or other requirements or restrictions, including, for example, restrictions and/or fees related to carbon emissions levels. Changes in environmental and climate change laws and regulations, including laws relating to greenhouse gas emissions, could lead to the necessity for new or additional investment in product designs or manufacturing processes and could increase environmental compliance expenditures, including costs to defend regulatory reviews. New or changing laws and regulations or related interpretation and policies could increase our costs of doing business, affect how we conduct our operations, adversely impact demand for our products, and/or limit our ability to sell our products and services. Compliance with laws and regulations of increasing scope and complexity is even more challenging in our current business environment in which reducing our operating costs is often necessary to remain competitive. In addition, a violation of U.S. and/or foreign laws by one of our employees or business partners could subject us or our employees to civil or criminal penalties, including material monetary fines, or other adverse actions, such as denial of import or export privileges and/or debarment as a government contractor which could damage our reputation and have an adverse effect on our business.

If our Finance segment is unable to maintain portfolio credit quality, our financial performance could be adversely affected.

A key determinant of the financial performance of our Finance segment is the quality of loans, leases and other assets in its portfolio. Portfolio quality can be adversely affected by several factors, including finance receivable underwriting procedures, collateral value, geographic or industry concentrations, and the effect of general economic conditions. In addition, a substantial number of the new originations in our finance receivable portfolio are cross-border transactions for aircraft sold outside of the U.S.  Cross-border transactions present additional challenges and risks in realizing upon collateral in the event of borrower default, which can result in difficulty or delay in collecting on the related finance receivables.  If our Finance segment has difficulty successfully collecting its finance receivable portfolio, our cash flow, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We periodically need to obtain financing and such financing may not be available to us on satisfactory terms, if at all.

We periodically need to obtain financing in order to meet our debt obligations as they come due, to support our operations and/or to make acquisitions. Our access to the debt capital markets and the cost of borrowings are affected by a number of factors including market conditions and the strength of our credit ratings. If we cannot obtain adequate sources of credit on favorable terms, or at all, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Natural disasters or other events outside of our control may disrupt our operations, adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, and may not be fully covered by insurance.

Natural disasters, including hurricanes, fires, tornados, floods and other forms of severe weather, the intensity and frequency of which are being exacerbated by climate change, other impacts of climate change, such as rising sea waters, as well as other events outside of our control including public health crises or pandemics, power outages, industrial explosions or other accidents, have in the past and could in the future disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business.  Any of these events could result in physical damage to and/or complete or partial closure of one or more of our facilities, temporary or long-term disruption of our operations or the operations of our suppliers by causing business interruptions or by impacting the availability and cost of materials needed for manufacturing or otherwise impacting our ability to deliver products and services to our customers. Existing insurance arrangements may not provide full protection for the costs that may arise from such events. The occurrence of any of these events could materially increase our costs and expenses and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Global climate change could negatively affect our business.

Increased public awareness and concern regarding global climate change may result in more international, regional and/or federal requirements to reduce or mitigate global warming and these regulations could mandate stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions. If environmental or climate change laws or regulations are either changed or adopted and impose significant operational restrictions and compliance requirements upon our business or our products, they could negatively impact our business, capital expenditures, results of operations, financial condition and competitive position.

We are subject to legal proceedings and other claims.

We are subject to legal proceedings and other claims arising out of the conduct of our business, including proceedings and claims relating to commercial and financial transactions; government contracts; alleged lack of compliance with applicable laws and regulations; production partners; product liability; patent and trademark infringement; employment disputes; and environmental, safety and health matters.  Due to the nature of our manufacturing business, we are regularly subject to liability claims arising from accidents involving our products, including claims for serious personal injuries or death caused by weather or by pilot, driver or user error. In the case of litigation matters for which reserves have not been established because the loss is not deemed probable, it is reasonably possible that such claims could be decided against us and could require us to pay damages or make other expenditures in amounts that are not presently estimable. In addition, we cannot be certain that our reserves are adequate and that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover one or more substantial claims. Furthermore, we may not be able to obtain insurance coverage at acceptable levels and costs in the future.  Litigation is inherently unpredictable, and we could incur judgments, receive adverse arbitration awards or enter into settlements for current or future claims that could adversely affect our results of operations in any particular period.

Intellectual property infringement claims of others and the inability to protect our intellectual property rights could harm our business and our customers.

Intellectual property infringement claims are, from time to time, asserted by third parties against us or our customers. Any related indemnification payments or legal costs we are obliged to pay on behalf of our businesses, our customers or other third parties can be costly. In addition, we own the rights to many patents, trademarks, brand names, trade names and trade secrets that are important to our business. The inability to enforce these intellectual property rights could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Additionally, our intellectual property could be at risk due to cybersecurity threats.

Certain of our products are subject to laws regulating consumer products and could be subject to repurchase or recall as a result of safety issues.

As a distributor of consumer products in the U.S., certain of our products are subject to the Consumer Product Safety Act, which empowers the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to exclude from the market products that are found to be unsafe or hazardous. Under certain circumstances, the CPSC could require us to repair, replace or refund the purchase price of one or more of our products, or potentially even discontinue entire product lines.  We also may voluntarily take such action and, from time to time, have done so, but within strictures recommended by the CPSC. The CPSC also can impose fines or penalties on a manufacturer for non-compliance with its requirements. Furthermore, failure to timely notify the CPSC of a potential safety hazard can result in significant fines being assessed against us. Any repurchases or recalls of our products or an imposition of fines or penalties could be costly to us and could damage the reputation or the value of our brands. Additionally, laws regulating certain consumer products exist in some states, as well as in other countries in which we sell our products, and more restrictive laws and regulations could be adopted in the future.

Our success is highly dependent on our ability to maintain a qualified workforce.

Our success is highly dependent upon our ability to maintain a workforce with the skills necessary for our businesses to succeed. We need highly skilled personnel in multiple areas including, among others, engineering, manufacturing, information technology, cybersecurity, flight operations, business development and strategy and management.  From time to time we face challenges that may impact employee retention such as workforce reductions and facility consolidations and closures. In addition, some of our most experienced employees are retirement-eligible.  To the extent that we lose experienced personnel through retirement or otherwise, it is critical for us to develop other employees, hire new qualified employees and successfully manage the transfer of critical knowledge.  Competition for skilled employees is intense, and we may incur higher labor, recruiting and/or training costs in order to attract and retain employees with the requisite skills. We may not be successful in hiring or retaining such employees which could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

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The increasing costs of certain employee and retiree benefits could adversely affect our results.

Our results of operations and cash flows may be adversely impacted by increasing costs and funding requirements related to our employee benefit plans. The obligation for our defined benefit pension plans is driven by, among other things, our assumptions of the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the discount rate used for future payment obligations. Additionally, as part of our annual evaluation of these plans, significant changes in our assumptions, due to changes in economic, legislative and/or demographic experience or circumstances, or changes in our actual investment returns could negatively impact the funded status of our plans requiring us to substantially increase our pension liability with a resulting decrease in shareholders’ equity. Also, changes in pension legislation and regulations could increase the cost associated with our defined benefit pension plans.

Our business could be adversely affected by strikes or work stoppages and other labor issues.

Approximately 7,400, or 29%, of our U.S. employees are unionized, and many of our non-U.S. employees are represented by organized councils. As a result, from time to time we experience work stoppages, which can negatively impact our ability to manufacture our products on a timely basis, resulting in strain on our relationships with our customers, loss or delay of revenue and/or increased cost. The presence of unions also may limit our flexibility in responding to competitive pressures in the marketplace. In addition, the workforces of many of our suppliers and customers are represented by labor unions. Work stoppages or strikes at the plants of our key suppliers could disrupt our manufacturing processes; similar actions at the plants of our customers could result in delayed or canceled orders for our products. Any of these events could adversely affect our results of operations.

Currency, raw material price and interest rate fluctuations can adversely affect our results.

We are exposed to a variety of market risks, including the effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, raw material prices and interest rates. Fluctuations in foreign currency rates contribute to variations in revenues and costs in impacted jurisdictions which can adversely affect our profitability. We monitor and manage these exposures as an integral part of our overall risk management program. Nevertheless, changes in currency exchange rates, raw material prices and interest rates can have substantial adverse effects on our results of operations.

We may be unable to effectively mitigate pricing pressures.

In some markets, particularly where we deliver component products and services to OEMs, we face ongoing customer demands for price reductions, which sometimes are contractually obligated. However, if we are unable to effectively mitigate future pricing pressures through technological advances or by lowering our cost base through improved operating and supply chain efficiencies, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Unanticipated changes in our tax rates or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our profitability.

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and various non-U.S. jurisdictions, and our domestic and international tax liabilities are subject to the location of income among these different jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in the amount of earnings indefinitely reinvested offshore, changes to unrecognized tax benefits or changes in tax laws, which could affect our profitability. In particular, the carrying value of deferred tax assets is dependent on our ability to generate future taxable income, as well as changes to applicable statutory tax rates. In addition, the amount of income taxes we pay is subject to audits in various jurisdictions, and a material assessment by a tax authority could affect our profitability.

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Cost of Sales and Selling and Administrative Expense

Cost of sales decreased $188 million, 2%, in 2019, compared with 2018, largely resulting from the impact from the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line, improved performance and a favorable impact of $48 million from foreign exchange rate fluctuations, partially offset by an unfavorable impact of $94 million from inflation. Gross margin as a percentage of Manufacturing revenues decreased 70 basis points in 2019, compared with 2018, primarily due to lower margin at the Textron Aviation segment, reflecting the mix of aircraft sold in the year.

Selling and administrative expense decreased $123 million, 10% in 2019, compared with 2018, primarily reflecting the impact from the disposition of Tools and Test Equipment product line and cost reduction activities in the Specialized Vehicles product line.  

In 2018, cost of sales decreased $233 million, 2%, compared with 2017, largely resulting from the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line and lower net volume as described above. Selling and administrative expense decreased $59 million, 4%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily reflecting the impact from the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line.

Interest Expense

Interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations includes interest for both the Finance and Manufacturing borrowing groups with interest related to intercompany borrowings eliminated. Interest expense for the Finance segment is included within segment profit and includes intercompany interest. Consolidated interest expense increased $5 million in 2019, compared with 2018, primarily due to higher average debt outstanding. In 2018, consolidated interest expense decreased $8 million, compared with 2017, primarily due to lower average debt outstanding.

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Special Charges

Special charges of $72 million, $73 million and $130 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, primarily include restructuring activities as described in Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Gain on Business Disposition

On July 2, 2018, we completed the sale of the businesses that manufacture and sell the products in the Tools and Test Equipment product line within our Industrial segment.  We recorded an after-tax gain of $419 million in 2018.

Income Taxes

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In 2019, the effective tax rate of 13.5% was lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21%, primarily due to $61 million in benefits recognized for additional tax credits related to prior years as a result of the completion of a research and development tax credit analysis.  

In 2018, our effective tax rate of 11.7% was lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21%, primarily due to the disposition of the Tools and Test equipment product line which resulted in a gain taxable primarily in non-U.S. jurisdictions that partially exempt such gains from tax. The effective tax rate for 2018 also reflects a $25 million benefit recognized upon the reassessment of our reserve for uncertain tax positions based on new information, including interactions with the tax authorities and recent audit settlements. In addition, we finalized the 2017 impacts of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (the Tax Act) and recognized a $14 million benefit in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Our effective tax rate of 59.8% for 2017 was higher than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35%, largely due to the impact from the Tax Act.  In the fourth quarter of 2017, we recorded a provisional estimate of $266 million for one-time adjustments resulting from the Tax Act.  Approximately $154 million of this provisional estimate represented a charge resulting from the remeasurement of our U.S. federal deferred tax assets and liabilities, and the remainder represented a provision for the transition tax on post-1986 earnings and profits previously deferred from U.S. income taxes.

For a full reconciliation of our effective tax rate to the U.S. federal statutory tax rate, see Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Segment Analysis

We operate in, and report financial information for, the following five business segments: Textron Aviation, Bell, Textron Systems, Industrial and Finance.  Segment profit is an important measure used for evaluating performance and for decision-making purposes. Segment profit for the manufacturing segments excludes interest expense, certain corporate expenses, gains/losses on major business dispositions and special charges.  The measurement for the Finance segment includes interest income and expense along with intercompany interest income and expense.  Operating expenses for the Manufacturing segments include cost of sales, selling and administrative expense and other non-service components of net periodic benefit cost/(credit), and exclude certain corporate expenses and special charges.

In our discussion of comparative results for the Manufacturing group, changes in revenues and segment profit for our commercial businesses typically are expressed in terms of volume and mix, pricing, foreign exchange, acquisitions and dispositions, inflation and performance. For revenues, volume and mix represents changes in revenues from increases or decreases in the number of units delivered or services provided and the composition of products and/or services sold.  For segment profit, volume and mix represents a change due to the number of units delivered or services provided and the composition of products and/or services sold at different profit margins. Pricing represents changes in unit pricing. Foreign exchange is the change resulting from translating foreign-denominated amounts into U.S. dollars at exchange rates that are different from the prior period. Revenues generated by acquired businesses are reflected in Acquisitions for a twelve-month period, while reductions in revenues and segment profit from the sale of businesses are reflected as Dispositions.  Inflation represents higher material, wages, benefits, pension service cost or other costs.  Performance reflects an increase or decrease in research and development, depreciation, selling and administrative costs, warranty, product liability, quality/scrap, labor efficiency, overhead, non-service pension cost/(credit), product line profitability, start-up, ramp up and cost-reduction initiatives or other manufacturing inputs.

Approximately 24% of our 2019 revenues were derived from contracts with the U.S. Government, including those under the U.S. Government-sponsored foreign military sales program.  For our segments that contract with the U.S. Government, changes in revenues related to these contracts are expressed in terms of volume.  Changes in segment profit for these contracts are typically expressed in terms of volume and mix and performance; these include cumulative catch-up adjustments associated with a) revisions to the transaction price that may reflect contract modifications or changes in assumptions related to award fees and other variable consideration or b) changes in the total estimated costs at completion due to improved or deteriorated operating performance.

Textron Aviation’s revenues increased $216 million, 4%, in 2019, compared with 2018, largely due to higher volume and mix of $199 million. Volume and mix includes higher Citation jet volume of $286 million, primarily reflecting the Longitude’s entry into service in the fourth quarter of 2019, and higher aftermarket volume of $44 million, partially offset by lower defense volume. We delivered 206 Citation jets and 176 commercial turboprops in 2019, compared with 188 Citation jets and 186 commercial turboprops in 2018.

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Textron Aviation’s operating expenses increased $212 million, 5%, in 2019, compared with 2018, largely due to higher net volume and mix as described above and an unfavorable impact from inflation, partially offset by improved manufacturing performance.

Factors contributing to the 2018 year-over-year revenue change are provided below:

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Textron Aviation’s revenues increased $285 million, 6%, in 2018, compared with 2017, due to higher volume and mix of $185 million and favorable pricing of $100 million.  We delivered 188 Citation jets and 186 commercial turboprops in 2018, compared with 180 Citation jets and 155 commercial turboprops in 2017.

Textron Aviation’s operating expenses increased $143 million, 3%, in 2018, compared with 2017, largely due to higher net volume as described above.

Textron Aviation’s segment profit increased $4 million, in 2019, compared with 2018, due to a favorable impact of $49 million from performance, reflecting manufacturing efficiencies, partially offset by an unfavorable impact of $28 million from inflation, net of pricing and lower volume and mix of $17 million due to the mix of products sold in the year.

Factors contributing to 2018 year-over-year segment profit change are provided below:

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Segment profit at Textron Aviation increased $142 million, 47%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily due to the impact from higher volume and mix of $65 million as described above and the favorable impact from pricing, net of inflation.

Textron Aviation Backlog

Backlog at Textron Aviation increased $611 million, 52%, in 2018 as a result of orders in excess of deliveries.

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Bell’s major U.S. Government programs at this time are the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft and the H-1 helicopter platforms, which are both in the production and support stage and represent a significant portion of Bell’s revenues from the U.S. Government.

Bell’s revenues increased $74 million, 2%, in 2019, compared with 2018, reflecting higher commercial revenues of $116 million,  partially offset by lower military volume. We delivered 201 commercial helicopters in 2019, compared with 192 commercial helicopters in 2018.

Bell’s operating expenses increased $64 million, 2%, in 2019, compared with 2018, primarily due to higher volume and mix as described above.

Factors contributing to the 2018 year-over-year revenue change are provided below:

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Bell’s revenues decreased $137 million, 4%, in 2018, compared with 2017, due to lower commercial revenues of $91 million, largely reflecting the mix of aircraft sold in the year, and lower military revenues of $46 million. We delivered 192 commercial helicopters in 2018, compared with 132 commercial helicopters in 2017.

Bell’s operating expenses decreased $147 million, 5%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily due to lower volume and mix as described above and improved performance on military programs described below.

Bell’s segment profit increased $10 million, 2%, in 2019, compared with 2018, due to favorable performance and other of $6 million and the impact of higher volume and mix as described above. Performance and other includes improved manufacturing performance, partially offset by lower net favorable program adjustments.

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Factors contributing to 2018 year-over-year segment profit change are provided below:

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Bell’s segment profit increased $10 million, 2%, in 2018, compared with 2017, due to a favorable impact of $60 million from performance and other, partially offset by an unfavorable impact from volume and mix, largely due to the mix of commercial aircraft sold in the year. The impact from performance and other was largely the result of $77 million in improved performance on military programs, which included an increase in favorable profit adjustments reflecting retirements of risk related to cost estimates and improved labor and overhead rates, partially offset by higher research and development costs.

Bell Backlog

Bell’s backlog increased $1.1 billion, 18%, in 2019, primarily reflecting new contracts with the U.S. Government for spares and logistic support for the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft and the H-1 helicopter programs, in excess of revenues recognized.

Bell’s backlog increased $1.2 billion, 27%, in 2018.  New contracts received in excess of revenues recognized totaled $2.0 billion, which primarily reflected an increase of $2.4 billion for Bell’s portion of a third multi-year V-22 contract for the production and delivery of 63 units along with related supplies and services through 2024.  This was partially offset by a decrease of $760 million upon the adoption of ASC 606 at the beginning of 2018, largely resulting from the acceleration of revenues upon conversion to the cost-to-cost method of revenue recognition.

Revenues at Textron Systems decreased $139 million, 9%, in 2019, compared with 2018, largely due to lower volume of $103 million in the Marine and Land Systems product line, primarily reflecting lower armored vehicle deliveries, and $41 million in the Unmanned Systems product line.

Textron Systems’ operating expenses decreased $124 million, 9%, in 2019, compared with 2018, primarily due to lower volume described above, and a favorable impact from the $18 million gain discussed below.

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Factors contributing to the 2018 year-over-year revenue change are provided below:

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Revenues at Textron Systems decreased $376 million, 20%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily due to lower volume of $159 million in the Marine and Land Systems product line reflecting lower Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle program (TAPV) deliveries, along with a decrease due to the discontinuance of our sensor-fuzed weapon product in 2017.

Textron Systems’ operating expenses decreased $393 million, 23%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily due to lower volume described above.  The decrease in operating expenses in 2018 also included the impact from unfavorable net program adjustments recorded in 2017 as described below.

Textron Systems’ segment profit decreased $15 million, 10%, in 2019, compared with 2018, primarily due to the unfavorable impact from performance and other of $9 million and the impact from lower volume as described above.  Performance and other includes the impact of lower net favorable program adjustments, partially offset by an $18 million gain recognized in the second quarter of 2019 related to a new training business we formed with FlightSafety International Inc., discussed in Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Factors contributing to 2018 year-over-year segment profit change are provided below:

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Textron Systems’ segment profit increased $17 million, 12%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily due to favorable performance and other of $62 million, partially offset by lower volume described above. Performance and other improved largely due to unfavorable program adjustments of $44 million recorded in 2017 related to the TAPV program. In 2017, this program experienced inefficiencies resulting from various production issues during the ramp up and subsequent production.

Textron Systems Backlog

In 2019, backlog decreased $258 million, 18%, primarily in the Marine and Land Systems product line as revenues recognized exceeded new contracts.

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Industrial segment revenues decreased $493 million, 11%, in 2019, compared with 2018, largely due to the impact of $248 million from the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line in 2018 and $233 million of lower volume and mix at the remaining product lines, primarily in the Specialized Vehicles product line. The reduction in volume in the Specialized Vehicles product line largely reflected our management of the distribution channel related to products under the Arctic Cat brand, including a reduction of inventories sold into the channel.  

Operating expenses for the Industrial segment decreased $492 million, 12%, in 2019 compared with 2018, primarily due to lower operating expenses of $226 million from the disposition of our Tools and Test Equipment product line, lower volume and mix described above and improved performance described below.

Factors contributing to the 2018 year-over-year revenue change are provided below:

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Industrial segment revenues increased $5 million, in 2018, compared with 2017. Higher volume of $149 million, largely related to the Specialized Vehicles product line, a favorable impact of $57 million from foreign exchange, primarily related to the strengthening of the Euro against the U.S. dollar, and the impact of $49 million from the acquisition of Arctic Cat on March 6, 2017, were largely offset by $246 million in lower revenues due to the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line.  

Operating expenses for the Industrial segment increased $77 million, 2%, in 2018, compared with 2017, primarily due to higher volume described above, the impact from foreign exchange and additional operating expenses from the Arctic Cat acquisition.  These increases were partially offset by lower operating expenses from the disposition of our Tools and Test Equipment product line.

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Segment profit for the Industrial segment was largely unchanged in 2019, compared with 2018, as favorable performance of $94 million, principally in the Specialized Vehicles product line primarily reflecting cost reduction activities, was largely offset by the impact from lower volume and mix described above.  Performance also includes the impact of a $17 million favorable adjustment recognized in the fourth quarter of 2018 related to a patent infringement matter.

Factors contributing to 2018 year-over-year segment profit change are provided below:

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Segment profit for the Industrial segment decreased $72 million, 25%, in 2018, compared with 2017, resulting from the impact of the disposition of our Tools and Test Equipment product line of $22 million, an unfavorable impact of pricing and inflation of $21 million and unfavorable performance and other of $16 million, which were both primarily related to the Specialized Vehicles product line. The unfavorable volume and mix was primarily due to the mix of products sold in the year. Performance and other primarily included additional operating expenses in the first quarter of 2018 due to the timing of the Arctic Cat acquisition and the seasonality of the outdoor power sports business and unfavorable inventory adjustments in the Specialized Vehicles product line, partially offset by a favorable impact of $17 million recognized in the fourth quarter of 2018 related to a patent infringement matter.

Finance segment revenues were unchanged and segment profit increased $5 million in 2019, compared with 2018. Finance segment revenues decreased $3 million and segment profit increased $1 million in 2018, compared with 2017. The following table reflects information about the Finance segment’s credit performance related to finance receivables.

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In 2019, cash flows from operating activities were $960 million, compared with $1,127 million in 2018, a decrease of $167 million. The change in cash flows included a $364 million decrease from changes in inventories between the periods and a $133 million decrease from other liabilities, primarily due to changes in salaries, wages and employer taxes payable, partially offset by a $343 million increase in cash flows from changes in accounts payable.

Cash flows provided by operating activities in 2018 were $1,127 million, compared with $930 million in 2017, a 21% increase, primarily reflecting lower pension contributions of $306 million, higher earnings and a dividend of $50 million received from the Finance group in 2018, which were partially offset by a higher use of net working capital in 2018, largely reflecting a $145 million cash outflow from changes in net taxes paid/received.

Net tax payments/(receipts) were $120 million, $129 million and $(16) million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Pension contributions were $51 million, $52 million and $358 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  In 2017, pension contributions included a $300 million discretionary contribution to fund a U.S. pension plan.

In 2019, investing cash flows included capital expenditures of $339 million. Investing cash flows in 2018 included net cash proceeds of $807 million from the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line and net proceeds from corporate-owned life insurance policies of $110 million, partially offset by capital expenditures of $369 million.  In 2017, cash flows used by investing activities included capital expenditures of $423 million and a $316 million aggregate cash payment for the Arctic Cat acquisition.  

Cash flows used in financing activities in 2019 primarily included $503 million of cash paid to repurchase an aggregate of 10.0 million shares of our outstanding common stock under a 2018 share repurchase authorization, and $252 million of payments on long-term debt, partially offset by net proceeds of $301 million from the issuance of long-term debt.  In 2018, financing cash flows included $1.8 billion of cash paid to repurchase an aggregate of 29.1 million shares of our outstanding common stock under the 2018 authorization and a prior 2017 authorization. Financing cash flows in 2017 included $582 million of cash paid to repurchase an aggregate of 11.9 million of our outstanding common stock under prior share repurchase authorizations and the repayment of outstanding debt of $704 million, partially offset by proceeds from long-term debt of $992 million.

On February 25, 2020, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 25 million shares of our common stock. This new plan allows us to opportunistically repurchase shares and to continue our practice of repurchasing shares to offset the impact of dilution from shares issued under compensation and benefit plans. The 2020 plan replaces the prior 2018 share repurchase authorization which was utilized in 2019 and 2018 for repurchases funded, in part, by the net proceeds of $0.8 billion from the disposition of the Tools and Test product line.

Dividend payments to shareholders totaled $18 million, $20 million and $21 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Dividends received from the Finance group, which totaled $50 million in both 2019 and 2018, are included within cash flows from operating activities for the Manufacturing group as they represent a return on investment.

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The Finance group’s cash flows from operating activities included net tax payments of $1 million, $17 million and $48 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Cash flows from investing activities primarily included collections on finance receivables totaling $277 million, $226 million and $273 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, partially offset by finance receivable originations of $184 million, $177 million and $174 million, respectively.  

Cash flows used in financing activities included payments on long-term and nonrecourse debt of $51 million, $126 million and $137 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Dividend payments to the Manufacturing group totaled $50 million in both 2019 and 2018.  In 2017, financing cash flows also included proceeds from long-term debt of $44 million.

Consolidated cash flows from operating activities were $1,016 million in 2019, compared with $1,109 million in 2018, a decrease of $93 million.  The change in cash flows included a $333 million decrease from changes in inventories between the periods and a $125 million decrease from other liabilities, primarily due to changes in salaries, wages and employer taxes payable, partially offset by a $343 million increase in cash flows from changes in accounts payable.

In 2018, consolidated cash flows provided by operating activities were $1,109 million, compared with $963 million in 2017, a 15% increase, primarily reflecting lower pension contributions of $306 million and higher earnings, partially offset by a higher use of net working capital in 2018, reflecting a $114 million increase in net tax payments and $45 million in lower cash flows related to captive financing activities.

Net tax payments were $121 million, $146 million and $32 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Pension contributions were $51 million, $52 million and $358 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  In 2017, pension contributions included a $300 million discretionary contribution to fund a U.S. pension plan.

In 2019, investing cash flows included capital expenditures of $339 million. Investing cash flows in 2018 included net cash proceeds of $807 million from the disposition of the Tools and Test Equipment product line and net proceeds from corporate-owned life insurance policies of $110 million, partially offset by capital expenditures of $369 million.  In 2017, cash flows used by investing activities included capital expenditures of $423 million and a $316 million aggregate cash payment for the Arctic Cat acquisition.  

In 2019, 2018 and 2017, cash used in financing activities included share repurchases of $503 million, $1,783 million and $582 million, respectively, and the repayment of outstanding debt of $303 million, $131 million and $841 million, respectively.  In 2019 and 2017, financing cash flows also included proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt of $301 million and $1,036 million, respectively.

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Captive Financing and Other Intercompany Transactions

The Finance group provides financing primarily to purchasers of new and pre-owned Textron Aviation aircraft and Bell helicopters manufactured by our Manufacturing group, otherwise known as captive financing. In the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash received from customers is reflected as operating activities when received from third parties. However, in the cash flow information provided for the separate borrowing groups, cash flows related to captive financing activities are reflected based on the operations of each group. For example, when product is sold by our Manufacturing group to a customer and is financed by the Finance group, the origination of the finance receivable is recorded within investing activities as a cash outflow in the Finance group’s statement of cash flows. Meanwhile, in the Manufacturing group’s statement of cash flows, the cash received from the Finance group on the customer’s behalf is recorded within operating cash flows as a cash inflow. Although cash is transferred between the two borrowing groups, there is no cash transaction reported in the consolidated cash flows at the time of the original financing. These captive financing activities, along with all significant intercompany transactions, are reclassified or eliminated from the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Reclassification adjustments included in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows are summarized below:

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Under a Support Agreement between Textron and TFC, Textron is required to maintain a controlling interest in TFC. The agreement, as amended in December 2015, also requires Textron to ensure that TFC maintains fixed charge coverage of no less than 125% and consolidated shareholder’s equity of no less than $125 million. There were no cash contributions required to be paid to TFC in 2019, 2018 and 2017 to maintain compliance with the support agreement.