Defense Dept. contracts for Bradley parts

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- BAE Systems has been contracted to purchase spare parts in support of repair work on the U.S. military's Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

British company BAE was awarded $112.5 million to purchase long-lead repair materials under a Defense Department contract managed by the Army Tank and Automotive Command.

BAE will stock up on bearings, brackets and armor to support repair work on more than 600 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in order to keep the wait time to a minimum on returning the battle-worn vehicles to soldiers in the field.

"We're ordering these parts now to expedite the reset process and get the Bradleys back to the soldiers who need them," Mark Willhoft, BAE Bradley Programs director, said in a statement.