General Dynamics’ [GD] Land Systems-Canada yesterday said it was awarded a contract valued at more than $150 million to General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products to qualify and produce reactive armor tile sets for the Stryker family of vehicles.
Deliveries are expected to begin in March 2010.
General Dynamics Land Systems is the original equipment manufacturer of the Stryker vehicle. All three companies are business units of General Dynamics.
General Dynamics’ reactive armor system comprises tiles that fasten to the exterior of the Stryker family of vehicles, which currently has 10 variants, allowing it to better withstand hits from a variety of anti-armor munitions.
“Our reactive armor technology is light-weight and provides an increased level of equipment and troop protection against shape-charged threats, including rocket-propelled grenades or RPGs,” Russ Klein, vice president and general manager of weapon systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, said in a statement. “We are proud to work with our General Dynamics’ teammates to provide potentially life-saving technologies to U.S. servicemen and women.”
The work will be performed at the General Dynamics’ facility in Camden, Ark., and will create 20 new jobs at the facility in January 2010. Program management will take place in General Dynamics’ Burlington Technology Center in Vermont.
As a strategic partner, RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd., Ordnance Systems Division, will share the production workload in Haifa, Israel.
In support of this new contract, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission awarded General Dynamics a grant to offset costs incurred in purchasing production-related equipment. The grant provided the company with an opportunity to streamline production efforts, as well as create local jobs.