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second batch of orders worth of a total US$79 million for low-rate
initial production MRAP vehicles
were issued this week. The vehicles include the South African
designed RG-31, the Australian Bushmaster and the new Golan
vehicle, designed under a joint Israeli-US cooperation. Three
manufacturers received orders for a total of 180 vehicles. Oshkosh
Truck Corporation received $30 million to deliver 30 PVI designed
Alpha armored vehicles, (defined as Category I, to be used as
urban combat vehicles). Protected Vehicles, Inc. also received
$37.4 million to deliver another 60 Golan
heavy armored vehicles, produced under cooperation with
Israel's RAFAEL and Oshkosh Truck. These vehicles will comply
with MRAP Category II - the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal
(EOD) Rapid Response Vehicle JERRV) requirement, expected to
be used for operations such as convoy lead, troop transport,
ambulance, explosive ordnance disposal and combat engineering.
General Dynamics Land Systems Canada received $ 11
million, for RG-31 armored
vehicles, designed for Category I and Category II roles. The
company will deliver 10 vehicles of each class. Deliveries of
all vehicles is expected to complete within four months (by
June 2007). Previous
orders worthe $122 million for 200 vehicles were issued
to BAE Systems and Force Dynamics. Both are based on South African
designed vehicles, producted in the USA.
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