The US Department of Defense has contracted BAE Systems Land & Armaments to produce more Bradley armored fighting vehicles for the army.
The $656.2-million award stipulates the vehicles in their M7A4 and M2A4 variants, which have been supporting America’s land forces since the 1980s.
Location and funding for the manufacturing will be determined on each order, according to the Pentagon’s notice, with BAE to continue the project until November 2027.
In September, the US signed another $440-million deal to BAE Systems to assemble more than 200 Bradleys for the army.
Resulting platforms from this separate agreement will be used to restock older units of the vehicle that were shipped to Ukraine amidst the European country’s conflict with Russia.
BAE’s Bradley Vehicle
The Bradley combat vehicle measures 22 feet (7 meters) and can carry up to 10 people depending on its configuration.
The system’s primary armaments include the Bushmaster 25-millimeter chain gun and tube-launched anti-tank missiles. Users can also equip the vehicle with m240 medium machine guns.
Bradley is powered by a 600-horsepower Cummins diesel engine for a top speed of 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour and a range of 250 miles (402 kilometers).
Including the US, five nations are currently operating the armored platform.