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General Dynamics Delivers First Five Australian M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management Tanks LIMA, Ohio -- During a ceremony at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center - Lima, General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), delivered the first five of 59 M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management (AIM) tanks to the Commonwealth of Australia. Awarded in November 2005, this foreign military sales contract is valued at $70 million. The M1A1 AIM tanks will replace the Australian Land Forces' aging Leopard main battle tanks. The Abrams M1A1 AIM tanks are survivable and affordable vehicles with excellent potential for network-centric warfare that will provide Australian Forces with increased connectivity, mobility and firepower. Additionally, the M1A1 AIM provides a cost-efficient armor solution as it incurs low operational and support costs, and reports high operational readiness rates. Under this contract, M1A1 Abrams tanks from the U.S. Army inventory are completely disassembled, overhauled and refurbished to like-new "zero-kilometer, zero-hour" condition. General Dynamics Land Systems Senior Vice President for Production, Delivery and Support Richard O. Gillette told ceremony attendees the process for the Australian tanks began last year when 59 M1A1 Abrams were inducted into General Dynamics Land Systems' partner facility, the Anniston Army Depot. "There, the vehicles were stripped of their component parts," Gillette said. "The process comes full circle here at Lima, where upgrades and technology enhancements are completed. Today's ceremony celebrates the first major deliveries under Australia's Foreign Military Sales program with the United States. This is a major achievement." Brigadier Damian Roche, the Australian Army Military Attach?© to the United States, represented the Commonwealth of Australia. General Dynamics Land Systems and Australian vehicle crews participated in a symbolic vehicle log book presentation to signify the transfer of the tank from the contractor to the Australian government. Additionally, General Dynamics Land Systems, U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales program managers and Roche signed the first vehicle's official certificate of acceptance. The Australian M1A1 AIM tank has a cruising range of up to 480 kilometers, the ability to reach speeds of 66 kph on-road (41 mph) and up to 48 kph off-road (30 mph), while carrying four crewmen and ammunition. The primary weapon is a 120mm smooth-bore cannon; it is also equipped with a 50-caliber machine gun for the tank commander and two additional 7.62mm machine guns. The Abrams can fire an advanced kinetic energy tungsten penetrator round against vehicles and a multipurpose round for infantry support. The Abrams' survivability is enhanced through its nuclear, biological and chemical protection system, crew compartmentalization from munitions and armored blow-off panels, which allow stowed munitions to vent to the atmosphere if detonated. The 59 M1A1 AIM tanks will be shipped to Australian Land Forces in two increments: June and December 2006. The tanks are part of a large worldwide fleet with known, stable operating costs, and are expected to be in service beyond 2020. Source: General Dynamics AM General was awarded $76 million contract AM General L.L.C., South Bend, Ind., was awarded on Feb. 10, 2006, a $75,731,226 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for production of M1152 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. Work will be performed in South Bend, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on July 17, 2000. The Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S001). Source: US DoD DRS Technologies Awarded $54 Million Contract to Produce Infrared Sighting Systems for U.S. Army Combat Vehicles PARSIPPANY, N.J. -- DRS Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: DRS) announced today that it has received a $54 million contract to provide Horizontal Technology Integration (HTI) Second Generation Forward Looking Infrared (HTI SGF) sighting systems. These systems provide critical common night vision technology to the U.S. Army's M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank System Enhancement Package (SEP) and M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which continue to be an integral part of the military's operations in Iraq. The contract was awarded to DRS by the Network Centric Systems division of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) in McKinney, Texas. For this award, DRS will provide the Abrams Thermal Receiver Units (TRU) with the Block 1 B-Kit, as well as Block 1 B-Kits for Improved Bradley Acquisition Systems (IBAS) and the Bradley Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) supporting the Army's HTI initiatives. Work for this award will be accomplished by the company's DRS Optronics unit in Palm Bay, Florida. Product deliveries will commence immediately and continue through July 2007. Additional orders on this program are anticipated by the company. "This award will provide improved performance and increased sensor commonality for our military forces and reaffirms our position as a leading supplier of advanced military ground vehicle sighting systems," said Fred L. Marion, president of DRS's Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group. "The use of these systems across several ground platforms has provided the Army with the opportunity to leverage resulting economies, while exploiting the capabilities of the latest technology in night vision systems. Central to the Army's modernization strategy for the digitization of the 21st century battlefield, the HTI initiative contributes significantly to the power projection capabilities of ground forces." The HTI SGF systems enhance the engagement and surveillance ranges for the identification of threats, increase target acquisition capability and significantly reduce fratricide. Providing the most advanced, high-resolution sighting technology available today for the success of ground combat operations, HTI SGF allows ground vehicles to detect, identify and engage tactical targets during the day or night. These systems contribute to information dominance by providing digital battlefield imagery to commanders thus empowered to promote interoperability among military platforms. HTI SGF is comprised of a common electronics unit and opto-mechanical assemblies known as the B-Kit. The B-Kit is incorporated in the Improved Bradley Acquisition System (IBAS) sight of the M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle System. The M1A2 Abrams SEP utilizes the same B-Kit within a thermal receiving unit and a biocular image control unit for the upgraded Thermal Imaging System (TIS), which is mounted in the gunner's sight. DRS-produced HTI components also are used for the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer on the M1A2, the Commander's Independent Viewer on the Bradley A3 and the Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3). Source: DRS Technologies |
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