As a result of the recent corporate acquisition of Armor Holdings by BAE Systems, the Land & Armaments Operating Group is experiencing significant growth in its tactical wheeled vehicle offerings. The acquisition provides the company with an impressive mix of expanded production and new tactical wheeled vehicle technologies.

The company's tactical wheeled vehicle production capabilities are best represented by the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) manufacturing facility in Sealy, Texas.

The FMTV program currently encompasses 16 tactical wheeled vehicle variants. Over 36,000 vehicles have already been produced for the FMTV program to date, with more than 4,500 of those vehicles now in active service with the United States Army in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Canadian Special Operations Forces are also among the key U.S. allies who are using these systems in current Global War on Terrorism operations.

Currently producing wheeled vehicles at a rate of 38 per day, the Sealy FMTV production plant exhibits what is likely the highest military vehicle production rate in the western world. Amazingly, that rate will soon increase to over 50 military vehicles running off the line, every day of the week.

The FMTV program currently encompasses 16 tactical wheeled vehicle variants.

Along with the core elements of the FMTV tactical wheeled vehicle systems, BAE Systems in Sealy is also producing a number of associated programs that further highlight the company's broad spectrum of wheeled vehicle capabilities to support today's warfighters.

For example, in conjunction with the production of the FMTVs, the company also produces trailers in two configurations that are matched to the off road mobility characteristics of the FMTV trucks. The trailers are currently being produced at a rate of almost 14 a day, with that rate projected to rise to 20 a day in the near future.

The FMTV Low Signature Armored Cab (LSAC) provides another excellent example. The company has already fielded over 2,000 of these critical survivability enhancements, and it's armored cab line is currently in volume production of an additional 425 units that will be delivered before the end of November. Moreover, the likelihood exists for 1,000 more LSAC units to be produced in the near future.

Another addition to the production facility involves the Caiman MRAPs noted above. Reflective of its parts commonality with the FMTV family, Caiman's chassis and power train are built on the FMTV production line, while the "armored capsule" is being built at the company's division in Fairfield, Ohio, that had previously produced the critical "Frag Kit 5" armor upgrade for Humvees. The armored capsules are then shipped to the FMTV facility for final production.

Taken all together, that translates to a vibrant tactical wheeled vehicle production line where a chassis moves forward into one of 18 different wheeled vehicle variants: 16 standard FMTV variants; the LSAC armored FMTV variant; and the Caiman M RAP.

The newest derivative of the FMTV family will effectively increase plant production from a current total of approximately 800 platforms per month to a monthly production rate of more than 1000 platforms.