Forces in Iraq to Receive 320 Kits for Up-Armoring M113s

M113A3 APC

BAE Systems, Santa Clara, CA received a $16 million firm-fixed-price contract for M113A3 and M1064A3 (an M113 variant that carries and fires a Soltam 120mm mortar) Survivability Enhancement Armor.

Scrutinizing the actual contract [PDF format], DID finds that the entire contract of $32 million has been funded, the $16 million is simply 50%, and that the armor kits of transparent armored gun shields, high hard applique armor, anti-RPG “slat armor” or bar armor, and mine armor are destined for Iraq:

While a July 5/05 DID article noted that Iraq is receiving a shipment of 180 M113s from Switzerland (which DID did not claim would be part of Iraq’s armored division), the numbers in this contract (320 anti-mine and TAGS kits, 255 M113 armor kits, 65 M1064A3 armor kits) appear to indicate that it relates to American M113s in theater. Note that $7M of the entire contract ($3.4 million of the listed award) is for installation of the kits on location.

As DID has noted in the past, In January 2005 it was reported that the US Army would send more than 700 newly reinforced M113s to Iraq, with plans to spend $84 million to add armor to a total of 734 M113/A3s and M577 command post armored personnel carriers. This is in part due to the efforts of Congressmen like Ike Skelton [D-MO], who campaigned for M113s armored personnel carriers to provide force protection. M113 armor was included in the FY 2005 supplemental appropriations bill, and in early 2005 the 557th Red Horse Squadron built an add-on-armor facility by refurbishing an old Iraqi military industrial area.

DID has also covered the recent efforts of the US Army to upgrade command post and mortar carrier variants of the M113 to A3 standard, which includes uprated engines that improve mobility and also allow heavier armor.

Work on these armor kits will be performed in Santa Clara, CA and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on Jan. 3, 2005 by The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (DAAE07-01-G-M002).