Army contracts for commercial trucks

WARRENVILLE, Ill., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has contracted Navistar Defense for the company to provide passenger buses and refrigerator trucks for deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Illinois-based Navistar Defense was awarded two contracts from the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Life Cycle Management Command, worth $60.4 million. As part of the awards, Navistar Defense will supply 289 of the company's commercial passenger buses and 196 refrigerator trucks, both powered by the company's MaxxForce engines.

Officials say the refrigerator trucks and buses will be converted from a commercial-based platform to perform military applications in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"The core of Navistar's strength is the ability to leverage our engineering, manufacturing and sustainment expertise to rapidly provide the U.S. and its allies with a wide portfolio of products," Bob Walsh, Navistar Defense vice president, said in a statement.

"We are proud that the military entrusts Navistar Defense to produce a wide portfolio of products to serve the troops."