Defense and security company Saab has signed a new five-year, $187 million framework contract with the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for the company’s Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system.
The contract, with an initial $14.3 million order, is a follow-on agreement to a previous five-year contract for the 84mm recoilless rifle system.
The framework contract enables SOCOM to place orders for weapons and ammunition over the five-year contract period up to a total value of approximately $187 Million.
“This is another great milestone for Saab and the Carl-Gustaf system,” said Görgen Johansson, senior vice president and head of Saab’s business area Dynamics. “This new order demonstrates the continued belief by the customer in the capabilities and versatility of our product as well as its future potential.”
“The Carl-Gustaf has repeatedly proven itself in the most demanding environments and it is a versatile, powerful tool for the soldier. The fact that the system is also being fielded to U.S. Army light infantry combat teams speaks for itself,” said Lars Borgwing, president and CEO of Saab Defense and Security USA, LLC.
The Carl-Gustaf system has a successful history and has successively been modernized and adapted to meet new requirements. Anticipating future operational needs, a new, lighter weight, version of the Carl-Gustaf is currently under development. The next generation system will also include additional functionality that will greatly increase the capability of the already formidable weapon system.
Other recent advances to the Carl-Gustaf system include the release of the new 655 Confined Space (CS) High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round designed to reduce back blast and allow soldiers to safely use the weapon in confined spaces, minimizing the hazardous effects of traditional shoulder fired munitions.
In the United States the system is called the Multi-role, Anti-armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System, or MAAWS.