U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

(TUESDAY, Nov. 9) -- Sen. Patrick Leahy announced Tuesday that General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, which maintains a substantial engineering division in Burlington, has been awarded a $23.375 million order from the U.S. Army to continue production of reactive armor for the Army's fleet of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, using funds largely secured by Leahy.

The armor systems are currently being deployed and used in the conflict in Iraq.

 Leahy, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and of its Defense Subcommittee -- the panel that handles the Senate's work in putting together the annual defense budget bill -- secured $17.5 million of the funding for this contract in the Pentagon's 2005 budget.

The Army may opt to increase the size of this year's contract to $46.7 million.  In the past five years, Leahy has worked with the Army to purchase more than $100 million in reactive armor.  Since 1994, General Dynamics has produced more than 500 armored sets.  The most recent funding will help the Army deploy an additional 130 armor sets.

The reactive armor system is made up of tiles that fasten to the exterior of the vehicles.  Each Bradley is covered with 96 tiles, which attach to the sides, the turret and the front of the vehicle.  Equipped with reactive armor, the Bradley is better able to withstand direct hits from a variety of anti-armor munitions, including shoulder-fired rocket propelled grenades.

Almost half of the order's work will be done in Vermont, including ongoing engineering and design work at the General Dynamics Vermont Technology Center in Burlington, which employs more than 500 people. The contract also means more work for another Vermont business -- Lyndonville-based Vermont Fabrication Inc., which helps manufacture the outer shell of each armored tile.

"The Army knows they can count on the Vermonters of General Dynamics and Vermont Fabrication for these critically needed armored tiles that have proven themselves in protecting the lives of our troops," said Leahy.

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