WEST CHESTER TWP. — BAE Systems has been awarded contracts of undisclosed amounts to provide the military with two versions of an armored all-terrain vehicle designed specifically for use by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Under the award, the company said it will produce three more test vehicles of each version to undergo additional survivability and mobility testing.
One version, produced by BAE Systems’ Global Tactical Systems business, will be manufactured in West Chester Twp. as well as Sealy, Texas, and other partner facilities, the company said.
The Security & Survivability division, based in West Chester Twp., designed and developed the vehicle’s blast-protected hull, lightweight armor, seating and restraint systems, said Eva Keller, spokeswoman for BAE Systems.
The vehicles are referred to as MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles, or M-ATVs. They are lighter, more-mobile versions of the company’s mine-resistant, ambush-protected, or MRAP, vehicles now used in Iraq, officials said.
“We combined the industry’s best in a vehicle that is survivable, mobile and dependable for use in Afghanistan,” said Regis Luther, vice president of Light Tactical Vehicles for the GTS line of business.
London-based BAE Systems employs about 1,800 people locally and has almost 1 million square feet of manufacturing and office space here.
