BAE Systems Adds Jobs to Upgrade Marine Corps Humvee Armor

, LOUISVILLE: BAE Systems has added 40 jobs through mid-2007 in response to an urgent need for HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle) armor for the U.S. Marine Corps. BAE Systems' armor kits provide protection to vehicle gunners and enable direct vision, situational awareness and target acquisition. 
 
“We've made it our personal responsibility to respond as rapidly as possible to meet the urgent needs of our customer and to help keep our troops safe,” said Mike Seale, vice president Homeland Defense at BAE Systems. 
 
The Louisville facility added a new production line and an additional paint booth for the coating process. The new line included the assembly of ballistic liners to the armor, coating, and final assembly of the armor kit. Orders from the Marine Corps and U.S. Army have added more than 25,000 hours to BAE Systems' Louisville facility and $1.3 million to the Louisville supplier base. The 40 jobs will be in place until the contract is fulfilled. 
 
To date, BAE Systems has produced 1,300 armor kits that have been delivered to the Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. The armor kits are also being installed on Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR), and Logistics Tactical Vehicles (LTV).  
 
BAE Systems is a global defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions, and customer support services. BAE Systems, with 88,000 employees worldwide, had 2005 sales that exceeded $22 billion, excluding the group's former interest in Airbus.