YORK, Pa. -- BAE Systems, under a $742 million U.S. Army contract, will remanufacture more than 300 Bradley vehicles with additional armor to protect soldiers.

The contract is an option to a previously awarded contract for work on 252 Bradley vehicles.

The award brings the total value of BAE Systems’ 2008 Bradley remanufacturing contracts to $1.3 billion for 578 vehicles.

Under this award, BAE Systems will remanufacture an additional 189 M2A3 vehicles, 115 M3A3 vehicles and 22 M3A3 Bradley Fire Support Team Vehicles in conjunction with the Red River Army Depot through a public private partnership.

Initial disassembly and subsystem rebuild will be performed at the depot, with final disassembly and structural modifications completed by BAE Systems in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Final assembly, integration and test will be conducted at the company’s facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Bradley vehicles under this contract will be equipped with Improvised Explosive Device Armor, Bradley Urban Survivability Kits and several engineering changes designed to increase soldier survivability. In addition, 51 M2A2 vehicles will be converted to the M3A3 configuration. The company will also provide more than 200 different types of spare parts in varying quantities.

“BAE Systems and Red River Army Depot are committed to upgrading and returning Bradley vehicles to combat ready status,” said Andy Hove, vice president of Combat Systems Programs for BAE Systems. “These vehicles will be equipped with the latest survivability enhancements to provide maximum protection to the soldiers in the field.”

Work under the contract will begin immediately by the existing workforce, with deliveries ending in February 2011.

The contract is managed by the Army’s TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.

Bradley Combat Systems continue to provide outstanding survivability, mobility and lethality to U.S. soldiers in close-combat urban situations as well as in open-combat. The Bradley fulfills five critical mission roles – infantry fighting vehicle, cavalry fighting vehicle, fire support vehicle, battle command vehicle and engineer squad vehicle – for the Army's Heavy Brigade Combat Teams.

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 100,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.

BAE Systems
24.09.2008