BAE Systems has recently received $464 million in deals from the Army to deliver nearly 200 more upgraded Bradley fighting vehicles.
The new awards include a $190 million contract modification the company announced on Aug. 25 for more than 70 M2A4 Infantry Fighting Vehicles and M7A4 Fire Support Team Vehicles and a new $274.1 million deal from the Army on Aug. 31 for 115 of the upgraded M2A4 and M7A4s.
“The Bradley has proven its unparalleled reliability both offensively and defensively, time and time again through its adaptability over the years,” Dan Furber, BAE Systems’ director of ground vehicle production, said in a statement on Sept. 1.“The Bradley A4’s advanced technology and superior capabilities provide our soldiers with the best equipment to give them the advantage on the battlefield.”
BAE Systems noted the newer A4 variant of the Bradley features upgrades ranging from “the latest digitized electronics for optimum situational awareness, network connectivity, and communication within the Armored Brigade Combat Team and includes enhanced mobility, survivability and situational awareness.”
“The Bradley A4 includes enhanced mobility with increased engine horsepower to provide rapid movement in reaction to combat or other adverse situations. Survivability improvements to the Fire Suppression and IED jammer components reducing the likelihood of system detectability. Additionally, the upgraded computing system enhances situational awareness for soldiers. Improvements to on-board diagnostics systems provide increased fault detection and isolation capabilities that help keep the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in the fight,” the company said in an Aug. 25 statement.
The $190 million Bradley A4 upgrade deal announced on Aug. 25 included two Early Order Materials contracts the Army awarded BAE Systems in August and November 2022.
BAE Systems was not selected to move forward in the Army’s XM30 effort to find a Bradley replacement, formerly known as Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, with the service choosing General Dynamics Land Systems [GD] and American Rheinmetall Vehicles for the detailed design and prototype build phases of the program (Defense Daily, June 26).
“After careful evaluation and debrief conversations with the U.S. Army, we have decided not to pursue a protest following the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle Phase III and IV award. While we are disappointed with the result, we remain focused on producing quality vehicles and expanded capabilities for soldiers. We look forward to continuing to be a reliable partner for the U.S. Army and finding new ways to innovate alongside them in the future,” a BAE Systems spokesperson said in July (Defense Daily, July 19).