General Dynamics Awarded $48 Million by U.S. Army for Reactive Armor Side Skirt Tiles

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The U.S. Army, Army Contracting Command, Joint Munitions and Lethality, in Picatinny, N.J., has awarded General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products an order valued at approximately $48 million to produce reactive armor side skirt tiles for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System.  Deliveries are expected to begin in February 2011 and be completed in September 2011.  General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

The reactive armor system is composed of tiles that fasten to the exterior of a vehicle, allowing it to better withstand direct hits from a variety of anti-armor munitions.  

Production work will be performed at the General Dynamics facility in McHenry, Miss., and the program will be managed from General Dynamics' Burlington Technology Center in Vermont.  A strategic partner, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Ordnance and Protection Division, will share the production workload in Haifa, Israel.

"Our reactive armor technology adds a valuable level of vehicle protection against shaped-charge threats and explosively-formed projectiles," said Russ Klein, vice president and general manager of weapon systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products.  "Designed specifically for the U.S. Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle, reactive armor prevents severe damage to combat vehicles in Iraq, and more importantly saves lives."

In addition to manufacturing the reactive armor tiles for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, General Dynamics provides complete assembly, integration and storage capabilities for the U.S. Army's reactive armor tile program.

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 91,000 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