BAE Systems Displays Mobile Firepower at CANSEC 2008

OTTAWA, Canada – The world’s lightest 155mm howitzer and one of the most capable, reliable and mobile trucks in military service will be the focus of BAE Systems’ presence at CANSEC 2008.

The battle-proven M777, in service with the Canadian Artillery and US forces, is paired with the M1085A1R variant of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), which can tow it while carrying over 4.5 tons. FMTV is the BAE Systems offering for the Canadian Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) program and is already paired with the M777 in U.S. service.

Both are products from BAE Systems’ Land & Armaments business and will be on display at the Cartier Drill Hall, near the show.

“The M777 has already earned a name for itself in operations in Afghanistan, where it was first deployed with the Canadian Armed Forces – and now with the U.S. Marines and Army,” said business development manager for Canada Jim Reid. “The Canadian Army has been using M777 to provide indirect fire support to coalition forces where its mobility, accuracy and short time into action have received very positive feedback. It is also in service with the U.S. Marines and Army in Iraq.”

The M777 is the world’s first artillery system to incorporate the large-scale use of titanium and aluminum alloys in gun design, resulting in a howitzer which is half the weight of conventional 155mm systems.

Canada operates 12 M777s which use the Digital Gun Management System for accurate laying and pointing of the howitzer. BAE Systems has delivered more than 300 M777s to the U.S. Department of Defense with orders for more than 600, including a recent April 2008 order for an additional 87.

Weighing less than 4200kg, it is the world’s lightest 155mm howitzer. With its low profile, high survivability, and quick deployment and stowage capabilities, the M777 can be positioned rapidly in the most challenging theatres of operation, including by medium-lift helicopters. It is currently manufactured by BAE Systems at its facilities at Barrow-in-Furness in the UK and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

BAE Systems’ Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles continues to boast the highest percent availability of any vehicle in the U.S. Army tactical vehicle fleet. Since the start of the program in 1988, BAE Systems has manufactured more than 36,000 FMTV vehicles for military forces and government contractors.

As the exclusive provider of the FMTV to the U.S. Army, BAE Systems offers more than 16 truck variants on two basic platforms – the 2.5-ton 4 x 4 Light Medium Tactical Vehicle and the 5- to 10-ton 6 x 6 Medium Tactical Vehicle. The FMTV vehicle models include troop carriers, cargo carriers, vans, dump trucks, recovery vehicles, tractors, specialty vehicles, as well as three trailer models, making it a highly versatile tactical vehicle family. With about 85 percent parts commonality across the FMTV family, BAE Systems has increased readiness while decreasing costs.

The versatility of the FMTV platform has fuelled the development of new variants, such as Hybrid Electric Drives, 9-ton Load Handling Systems, 10-ton dump, the FMTV 8 x 8 Flex-Frame, and the Height Reducible Electronic Enclosure. The FMTV is also the standard chassis for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and the Medium Extended Air Defense System.

In 2003, BAE Systems designed the Low Signature Armored Cab (LSAC), which offers crew protection from assault rifle rounds, land mines, and artillery fragments. The LSAC cab was designed as a drop-in replacement for the standard FMTV cab, which does not offer ballistic protection, and can be installed in a “remove and replace” operation by two people in approximately four hours each. Over 2,000 of these LSAC cabs are presently in operation with the U.S. Army.