Army exercises BAE contract option

YORK, Pa., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has exercised a contract option with BAE Systems for additional remanufacturing of Bradley fighting vehicles.

British company BAE is under contract to disassemble Bradley vehicles and install soldier protections against improvised explosive devices and other ballistic threats. By exercising a $742 million contract option, BAE will now upgrade more than 300 additional vehicles.

Officials say the number of vehicles to be remanufactured under the deal is now 578 for a total of $1.3 billion.

Work on the Bradley armor upgrades will be in partnership with the Red River Army Depot in Texas, with additional work performed at BAE facilities in Pennsylvania.

"BAE Systems and Red River Army Depot are committed to upgrading and returning Bradley vehicles to combat ready status," Andy Hove, BAE Systems combat systems programs vice president, said in a statement.

"These vehicles will be equipped with the latest survivability enhancements to provide maximum protection to the soldiers in the field."