NEW ORLEANS, July 3 (UPI) -- Textron Marine & Land Systems, working with Granite Tactical Vehicles, is to produce protection enhancements for U.S. Army HMMWV vehicles.
"Our TM&LS/Granite MECV-S solution would replace the current HMMWV crew compartment in a one-for-one exchange," said TM&LS Senior Vice President and General Manager Tom Walmsley. "It offers vehicle occupants an armored monocoque V-hull protective capsule and restores the vehicle's tactical mobility with proven components."
MECV-S stands for Modernized Expanded Capacity Vehicle Survivability system. The lightweight system has a lower center of gravity than that of an up-armored HMMWV and is resistant to small arms fire, blasts and the secondary effects of blasts such, as fire, crushing, rollover and collision. Part of the system is incorporation of angles and a V-shaped blast deflection under-body plate.
Under the contract, TM&LS and Granite will install the system on two vehicles supplied by the military for testing this summer.
The contract from the Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command is worth $3.29 million. The potential follow-on work would be for as many as 5,750 vehicles.
