DTN News: BAE Systems Awarded Contract $629M For MRAP Survivability Enhancements

DTN News: BAE Systems Awarded Contract $629M For MRAP Survivability Enhancements

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including U.S. DoD issued August 27, 2010 - No. 773-10 & Other media.

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON, USA - August 30, 2010: BAE Systems Tactical Vehicle LP, Sealy, Texas, is being awarded a $628,999,998 firm fixed priced delivery order #0009 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5030) for the procurement of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Engineering Change Proposal for enhanced sustainability and safety of 1700 Caiman Multi-Theater vehicles (CMTV).

The sustainability includes: CMTV Chassis, Caiman Underbody Survivability Kit, CMTV Integration Recon, Kuwait; CMTV Training and Integration Support, Kuwait, Commercial Off The Shelf Manual (Operator and Maintenance), New Equipment Training package (Operator New Equipment Training and Field Maintenance New Equipment Training, CMTV Integration Manual, CMTV Deprocessing Kit, CMTV Authorized Stockage List, CMTV Prescribed Load List, and CMTV Battle Damage Assessment and Repair.

Work will be performed in Kuwait (90 percent) and Texarkana, Texas (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed by the end of December 2011. Contract funds willnot expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

The RG33 is a family of mine-protected vehicles manufactured by BAE Systems. The RG33 4×4 and 6×6 are in production in the United States for the US Marine Corps mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle programme. BAE Systems manufactures three of the US Marine Corps' five variants of MRAP vehicles: the Caiman, the RG31 and the RG33. The RG33 is manufactured in several configurations including the category I 4×4, category II 6×6, the heavy armored ground ambulance (HAGA) and the special operations command (SOCOM) vehicle. The RG33 series is in the medium weight class, providing survivability, advanced mobility, mission flexibility, rapid availability and vehicle commonality.

The RG-33 may be equipped with modular add on armor kits, TRAPP transparent armor that provides excellent visibility and situational awareness, and run-flat tires. The levels of protection of the RG33 vehicle depends on the armor package but the basic model offers small and medium caliber firearms and mine blast protection. BAE Systems has designed the RG33 platform to serve as Infantry Carrier, Ambulance, Command and Control, Convoy Escort, Explosive Ordnance Disposal vehicle, etc. To date, the RG-33 vehicle family includes the RG-33 6x6 or RG-33L, the RG-33 4x4, Medium Mine Protected Vehicle (MMPV) 6x6, and Mine Resistant Recovery and Maintenance Vehicle (MRRMV) 6x6 variants.

The RG-33 is a 4x4 utility MRAP Category I vehicle ordered by the US Army and the US Marine Corps (USMC) for its ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. These vehicles are also deployed as Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Sustainment Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) vehicles. As of December 2008, the US Armed Forces had ordered more than 500 RG-33 4x4s. Despite their outstanding protection demonstrated in Iraq, these vehicles result too heavy and lack off-road mobility to operate in harsh environments and rough terrains in Afghanistan.

**This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail