BAE Systems will deliver 545 lightweight bar-armor kits to the U.S. Army for installation on ground vehicles. The company received a $23.7 million contract from the Army’s Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command to equip 371 RG-31 vehicles and 174 mine-protected Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles with its L-ROD™ aluminum armor, used widely on Army Buffalo ordnance disposal vehicles.
L-ROD is a modular system made of lightweight aluminum alloy that protects vehicles without adding significant additional weight or compromising their operational capabilities. It weighs less than half of comparable steel systems and is bolted to the vehicle, avoiding the need for welding or cutting. It also can be repaired easily in the field.
BAE Systems originally developed the system as part of a fast-response Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program to provide rocket-propelled grenade protection for High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. Army officials conducted more than 50 live-fire tests to validate the system’s performance and optimize the engineering design.
Work will be performed at BAE Systems facilities in Manassas, Virginia, and Austin, Texas.
Source and Photo: BAE
