General Dynamics‘ [GD] Land Systems yesterday announced a $599 million contract for production and maintenance of 615 Stryker vehicles as part of a deal with a potential value of $1.2 billion.
This award issued by the Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command continues vehicle production under the Stryker program, which was initially awarded to General Dynamics in 2000.
To date, General Dynamics has fielded 2,550 vehicles and trained 17,312 soldiers. Fielding is currently underway for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
The work under this contract will be done at Anniston, Ala.; Sterling Heights, Mich.; Lima, Ohio; and London, Ontario, Canada, and completed by May 2011.
Stryker Brigade Combat Teams have operated with “historically high” mission availability rates in Iraq since October 2003, demonstrating the value of a force that can move rapidly as a cohesive and networked combined-arms combat team. Stryker vehicles have logged a total of more than 19 million miles during six Operation Iraqi Freedom rotations.
Stryker is a family of eight-wheel drive combat vehicles that can travel at speeds up to 62 mph on highways, with a range of 312 miles.
It is the Army’s highest-priority production combat vehicle program and the centerpiece of the ongoing Army Transformation. Strykers operate with the latest C4ISR equipment and an integrated armor package protecting soldiers against improvised explosive devices, rocket propelled grenades, and a variety of infantry weapons.