BAE wins new U.S. Army body-armor order

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- BAE Systems said Monday it has won seven contracts to make protective equipment for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

The company said in a statement that it had won the contracts "valued at $43.5 million to provide a range of protective equipment to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps."

"This equipment includes the Advanced Combat Helmet --ACH, helmet-mounted sensors for the ACH, outer tactical vests, torso plates and side body armor plates, and load-carrying pocket sets for use with body armor ensembles," BAE Systems said.

“Our body armor and helmet products continue to be in significant demand for protection of our war fighters,” said Denny Dellinger, president of BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems. “We have made a major commitment to expanding capacity for our Individual Equipment businesses and we are very pleased our DOD customers continue to depend on us for leading-edge technologies.”

BAE Systems said the equipment would be manufactured "at BAE Systems facilities in Jessup, Pa; Phoenix; and Jefferson City, Tenn."

BAE Systems describes itself as "the premier global defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. BAE Systems, with 96,000 employees worldwide, had 2006 sales that exceeded $27 billion on a pro forma basis, assuming BAE Systems had owned Armor Holdings Inc. for the whole of 2006."