BAE Systems Monday said it has received an additional order for the armored all-terrain vehicle BvS10 VIKING from the British Ministry of Defence (MoD).
“This contract recognizes the performance the BvS10 VIKING delivers to the troops in theatre,” Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, director of marketing and sales at BAE Systems Hagglunds, Sweden. “It is key to us as a company to meet user needs, and the upgraded variant will meet those requirements.”
The contract is for nine vehicles, seven of the troop-carrying variant and two in command vehicle configuration. The vehicles are being ordered to maintain the capability in theater.
It follows a December 2008 contract that added mine protection to the current fleet of BvS10 VIKINGs currently in service with the British MoD.
The latest vehicles will be built to the same MkI configuration build standard that includes the new mine protection kit.
The first vehicle in the contract is to be delivered directly from stock this month and the whole contract outlines delivery during the first quarter of 2009.
The mine protection upgrades will be fitted following manufacture of the base vehicles, BAE said.