General Dynamics Awarded $33 Million Order by U.S. Army for Bradley Fighting Vehicle Reactive Armor

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has been awarded an order of approximately $33 million to produce reactive armor tile sets for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle by the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.  Deliveries are expected to begin in June 2010.  General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

Work will be performed at the General Dynamics' facility in McHenry, Miss., and deliveries are expected to be completed in November 2010.  The program will be managed from General Dynamics' Burlington Technology Center in Vermont.  The order is an extension of a contract awarded in 2006.  A strategic partner, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Ordnance and Protection Division, will share the production workload in Haifa, Israel.

General Dynamics' reactive armor system is composed of tiles that fasten to the exterior of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, allowing it to better withstand direct hits from a variety of anti-armor munitions.

"Our reactive armor package is a light-weight solution that can defeat full-scale, shape-charge threats of modern, long-range anti-tank missiles," said Russ Klein, vice president and general manager of weapon systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products.  "Our team in McHenry is proud to produce reactive armor tiles that save lives and prevent severe damage to combat vehicles in Iraq."

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, located in Charlotte, N.C., provides a broad range of system solutions for military and commercial applications.  The company designs, develops and produces high-performance weapon and armament systems, defensive armor, countermeasure systems and aerospace composite solutions, as well as off-road axle and suspension systems.  It is also a leading U.S. producer of biological and chemical detection systems.  More information about General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products can be found on the Internet at www.gdatp.com.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 92,300 people worldwide.  The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.  More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.

SOURCE General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products