The Washington Business Journal reports that United Technologies subsidiary General Dynamics is ordering add-on armor kits for the Army’s Stryker combat vehicle from fellow defense contractor United Defense Industries. The contract is initially worth $30 million but has a potential value of as much as $90.6 million. UDI says production of the initial lot of 289 kits will start this fall and be completed by October 2006.
United Defense Industries, in the process of being acquired by BAE Systems, is also supplying the U.S. Army with Bradley Fighting Vehicles and body armor for soldiers. Its ceramic body inserts, made by UDI subsidiary Cercom, offer greater protection against small arms fire than traditional soft body armor. A recent New York Times article details some of the issues the U.S. military has faced in getting body armor to the troops. Hat Tip: DefenseTech.org