General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems [GD] has awarded a $30 million contract to TenCate Advanced Armor i
n Newark, Ohio, to provide the armor for the Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) 1.1.
General Dynamics is the prime contractor for the GMV, and Ten Cate will provide the GMV 1.1 armor.
Photo: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
Initial production will start during the second half of 2014, Ten Cate said in an April 16 statement.
The Pentagon awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems a $562 million contract for the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV 1.1) in August. The GD-OTS vehicle is the Flyer advanced light strike vehicle.
SOCOM plans to purchase as many as 1,300 GMVs over the next six years to replace SOCOM’s current fleet of specialized High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs).
“We are extremely excited to be a part of the GD-OTS team,” said Mark Edwards, president of TenCate Advanced Armor USA. “The GMV platform is a perfect platform for our lightweight armor solutions. The GMV program is certainly an important part of the future enabling technologies for the United States Army Special Forces and we are proud to be able to participate on such an important program.”
The TenCate GMV armor will consist of the primary vehicle armor including reinforced enhanced glass. TenCate will design and manufacture the armor and provide it to GD-OTS as a complete kit ready for installation.