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Army contracts BAE for L-Rod bar-armor


Published: May 8, 2008 at 2:44 PM
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MANASSAS, Va., May 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has contracted BAE Systems for the company's L-Rod bar-armor kits for installation on RG-31 and Cougar vehicles.

BAE officials say the contract, worth $23.7 million, is for the delivery of 545 of its lightweight bar-armor kits. Under the deal with the Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command, BAE will provide its trademarked L-Rod aluminum armor for installation on 371 RG-31 vehicles and 174 Cougar mine-protected joint explosive ordnance disposal rapid response vehicles.

The Army chose BAE's L-Rod bar-armor rocket-propelled grenade protection solution because the kits are easily repaired if damaged and they only add a small amount of weight to the RG-31 and JERRV vehicles. BAE officials say the L-Rod aluminum alloy is less than half the weight of comparable steel.

"The L-Rod system is a low-cost and lightweight solution that protects vehicles from rocket-propelled grenade attacks," Jim Galambos, BAE Systems advanced technologies business development director, said in a statement. "L-Rod is easily adaptable to just about any type of vehicle."

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