500 Land Warrior Systems to be integrated into Stryker Battalion

General Dynamics, SCOTTSDALE: General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded a $30 million contract by the U.S. Army to integrate as many as 500 Land Warrior ensembles and Stryker Integration Kits into a Stryker experimental battalion.  
 
The system will provide improved situational awareness and communications between dismounted soldiers and Stryker vehicles, as well as enable commanders to see soldiers on maps and communicate with them using voice and data.  
 
Delivery of the assessment versions of the Land Warrior ensembles and integration kits is scheduled for March through May of 2006. General Dynamics received the award after successful completion of nearly four months of Land Warrior field testing at Ft. Benning, Ga. in 2004.  
 
“We are focused on providing the best technology available to improve soldier survivability and lethality,” said Mark Showah, director of Intelligent Network Systems for General Dynamics C4 Systems. “General Dynamics understands the Army's requirement to bring information to soldiers on the battlefield.”  
 
Land Warrior is an integrated, modular fighting system that uses technology to enhance individual soldiers' close-combat tactical awareness, lethality and survivability. It includes weapon-mounted sensors, an integrated helmet assembly, a communications-navigation computer system and software for friendly-force tracking and command/control programs. The total program value under contract is $258 million.  
 
In addition to successful field testing, a Land Warrior weapons firing test by Marines at Quantico, Va. in May resulted in better-than-expected accuracy and system battery life. Soldiers used the system's thermal sight for nighttime firing and digital video sight for daylight shooting during range testing.  
 
“We were able to hit targets with much greater accuracy from greater distances,” said Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Soldier System Manager (TSM) Colonel Ernest Forrest, TSM Soldier. “The ability for soldiers to fire 'off-hand' or around corners with such accuracy is unprecedented.”  
 
Along with Land Warrior, General Dynamics C4 Systems also is the prime system integrator for Mounted Warrior, an advanced combat helmet system for combat vehicle crewmen; and Air Warrior, which consists of state-of-the-art electronics and advanced, mission-specific protective clothing for Army helicopter aircrew members.  
 
General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leading integrator of secure communication and information systems and technology. With more than 10,000 employees worldwide, the company specializes in command and control, communications networking, space systems, computing and information assurance for defense, government and select commercial customers in the United States and abroad.  
 
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 70,100 people worldwide and had 2004 revenue of $19.2 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation.