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Sept. 20, 2010 / 12:35 PM

New Humvees get escape windows

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Griffin (R) and Spc. Jessica Sandberg, drive a Humvee to down a flooded street in Fort Ransom, North Dakota on April 15, 2009. The Soldiers are making welfare visits to residents in rural areas affected by Sheyenne River flood waters. (UPI Photo/David H. Lipp/U.S. Air Force)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Griffin (R) and Spc. Jessica Sandberg, drive a Humvee to down a flooded street in Fort Ransom, North Dakota on April 15, 2009. The Soldiers are making welfare visits to residents in rural areas affected by Sheyenne River flood waters. (UPI Photo/David H. Lipp/U.S. Air Force) | License Photo

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- New U.S. military Humvees are to be fitted with emergency escape windows through a contract modification to BAE Systems worth as much as $70 million.

Work on the Vehicle Emergency Escape windows for new production M1151 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles will begin immediately at BAE Systems and partner facilities in Minneapolis and Butler, Pa., the company said. Work is expected to be completed in March of next year.

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"The safety of our men and women in uniform is one of our top priorities and the installation of the VEE Window kit on the vehicles they operate is another way that we strive to keep them safe," said Robert Houston, vice president and general manager of Readiness & Sustainment at BAE Systems. "The VEE Window is a life-saving safety enhancement system that provides soldiers with an alternate means of emergency escape in the event of an accident, rollover or other ballistic or blast event."

BAE said the contract modification raises the total number of orders for VEE Windows to more than 39,000. More than 16,000 VEE kits have been shipped for the up-armored M1114 and M1151 HMMWVs.

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BAE Systems is also adapting the VEE Window technology to other tactical up-armored combat vehicles.

BAE Systems was originally awarded this contract from AM General in August 2009. The company has worked with Ibis Tek for the design and manufacturing of VEE Windows since 2006.

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